Pathraza's Blessing
by Insane-As-The-Mind
Summary: Duvaine escapes from the tyranny of Elohn, where she has lived her entire life. She flees to Hyrule with Elohn soldiers looking for her, and somehow manages to get tangled with the Hero of Legend. Together they uncover a dark past and plot that they can only fix together. But the fate of their kingdoms rests on a little white lie...
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

* * *

The old woman's voice rasped against the room's elegant, pristine white walls. A colossal fireplace roared with life, which cast an eerie glow over the hag. If one were to look closely, they could see only a few yellowing teeth remained within her mouth. Her hair was as coarse as hay, yet hidden beneath a crisp white cloth befitting of a King's servant.

"Long ago, before the rulers of Elohn built our might city, there was a Goddess." The woman began, taking a seat beside the large soft bed that dominated half of the enormous room. "This Goddess's name was Pathraza. The mortals thought her to be gorgeous, even Din found herself envious of the grace and beauty Pathraza possessed. Sadly, Pathraza was merely a lower Goddess and therefor a servant to Din. She was given demeaning tasks not worthy of her stature-"

"What's demeaning mean?" An excited young voice interrupted, the old woman glared at the pair of eyes watching her from beneath the covers. "Sorry." The girl fidgeted beneath the heavy blanket.

The old woman took a deep breath, she despised it when anybody interrupted her story telling; everyone in the castle knew it.

"Then, one day..." The woman continued again. "Din sent Pathraza down to Earth, forcing her to complete another task Din was _unfit_ to do herself. That is where Pathraza met Ibo." The old woman smiled faintly, another set of eyes appeared from beneath the covers, watching timidly while the other bounced with excitement. "Ibo was a kind man, there was never such a loving and kind soul as he. Pathraza fell in love with him, and he with her, unaware that he was in love with a goddess."

"This is the saddest part." The bouncing bundle whispered, but the woman wasn't as deaf as she was blind. She waited for silence again. "Sorry." The girl said again. The old woman couldn't help an amused smile that crossed her toothless face.

"When Din discovered the affair, she was furious. The sky boiled and stormed with her anger, she was horrified that a mere mortal could catch the attention of her servant. In a blind rage, Din cast a curse over Ibo, a darkness came over him and he consumed all the energy from those around him, they all withered into blankness. The ancient kingdom, who's name we've forgotten, fell into ruin. Pathraza was horrified by what became of her lover, but did not give up hope to restoring him to his former self. Before she could seek the help of the Hero Of The Goddesses, neighboring kingdoms came to kill Ibo. In a last effort to keep her love safe, Pathraza sealed him deep within a mountain where nobody could find him. Din cast Pathraza out, taking away her beauty and leaving her to the humans." The woman sucked in a deep breath, satisfied that she had told it correctly.

"What happened to Pathraza after that Uma?" The little girl couldn't hold in her excitement any longer, bouncing red curls sprung up from beneath the covers and her face was covered in freckles, bright green eyes filled with excitement.

"You asked me this last time Fovi." The old lady drawled, standing to stir the fire. "I'm sure Duvaine remembers, why don't you ask her?" The woman suggested, there was a small whimper from beneath the covers.

"Do you remember Duvaine? Won't you tell me?" The redhead demanded, pulling the covers back until she revealed the second little girl. Her short white hair blended with the sheets of the bed, and her eyes were clouded, murky white clouding her pupils mysteriously.

"Uh- She- she... I can't remember." Her voice was as small as she was, white eyes flickering between the woman and her friend.

"Pish posh my dear." The woman straightened her hunched back. "The royal family is supposed to be related to the Goddess, and yet you don't remember where she went?" The woman shook her head and the little girl shied away from her gaze.

"Sh-she disappeared, but she had a baby first..." The white haired girl stuttered, hiding her face behind the thick covers.

"That's right." The old woman, Uma, smiled. "And it's told she watches over us all from wherever she may be."

"Do you believe she does?" Fovi asked the nanny, excitement filling her eyes all at once. "I'm going to find her one day-!"

"I'm sure you will." Uma said dryly, "But for now you must go to sleep."

Fovi's face fell, she sank back into the bed beside the quiet Duvaine and pulled the covers around them.

"Goodnight Princess." Uma rasped, as she closed the door quietly behind her.

Unfortunately for Duvaine, Fovi was wide awake.

"Do you believe the story?" Fovi asked beneath the covers. Duvaine looked at her for a long time, expressionless.

"If you do, then so do I." She whispered back.

"Forget about me princess, what do you think?"

"Don't call me that Fovi, you know I don't like it." Duvaine shrank deeper into her pillow, voice getting smaller and smaller.

"Oh stop it, scaredy cat. Nothing can hurt you while I'm here!" The redhead snorted, and scooted closer to her friend. Fovi tugged gently on a long strand of Duvaine's hair, who held very still.

"So pretty. I wish I had hair like yours." Fovi pouted.

"It isn't pretty, it's strange." Duvaine whispered back, afraid the dark may hear her. Fovi's disbelief was potent.

"Just because people look at you strangely, doesn't mean you _are_ strange." Fovi assured. Duvaine didn't feel much better.

"I can feel it, they think I'm strange. They're disgusted sometimes." Duvaine said sadly.

"There is nothing strange about a shy little seven year old girl." Fovi announced, as if everybody knew that. "They've just never seen such a beautiful princess before." The girl chuckled, and Duvaine blinked with a frown.

"Stop it Fovi. You're going to get into trouble." Duvaine warned, not wanting anybody to hear.

"Psh, no I'm not. I'm three years older than you, which means I can't get in trouble." Fovi said smugly. "I'm practically an adult."

"I don't think so..." The girl's voice trailed off quietly.

Fovi yawned enormously, and snuggled deeper into the blankets as the cold night air began to waft through the curtains. Duvaine knew she would fall asleep quickly now that she had released all her thoughts.

"G'night... D'vaine..." Fovi slurred, eyes closing slowly as she drifted off into sleep. It wasn't soon after that Duvaine could hear light snores coming from her friend.

"Goodnight Fovi." She whispered to the dark room.

 _ **I had this posted a while ago, but I hated it. So, here's the new and improved version! Enjoy!**_

 _ **Read and Review! I may have chapter one posted sometime tonight!**_


	2. Raid

**Raid**

* * *

Duvaine jolted awake, her ears ringing from the scream that filled her room. Her body was covered in a cold sweat, the moisture making her shiver against the open air when she sat up. It took her a full moment to realize that the scream had been from herself.

A loud bang sounded against the door, something was absolutely wrong. That didn't sound like Afi's usual nervous knock, that sounded like a boulder hitting her door. There was anger all around her, and fear, she could feel it like a snowstorm raging within her room.

The door shook on its' hinges again, the sound of somebody very heavy wanting to be let in. Duvaine shrunk in fear, clutching at her blankets as if they may protect her from whatever monster was trying to find her. With a splintering crack, the door flew open; it swung clean off its' hinges and collided with her dresser in an explosion of bits and wood.

The man that stepped into her room was larger than any she had ever seen. He was holding a large bloodied sword in his hands and Duvaine couldn't stop the squeal of terror that passed through her pale lips. Her entire body seized up, trembling wildly in terror. He drew the weapon back, Duvaine's back held firm by the wall; there was no where _to_ run. Pure terror flashed across her mind, she sent a small prayer to the Goddesses as a sob shook her chest.

A sickening crunch filled her ear drums, and warm liquid splattered across her fear filled face. There was a large sword sticking out the middle of the man, he dropped his sword with a deafening clang of metal on stone. The assaulter's gaze locked onto the sword sticking through his chest, Duvaine could feel the horror and fear just by looking into his eyes.

"Duvaine?!" A voice called, she almost melted with relief. "Did you stop him in time Anoc?"

There was a grunt and the large body fell stiffly to the ground beside her bed as the sword was removed roughly. Behind the corpse stood Anoc, who was wiping his sword clean with a cloth, an annoyed scowl planted on his face. He was a few years older than Fovi, his square jaw set in a grimace. Blonde hair and sea green eyes pierced Duvaine straight into her soul. His emotions were unreadable as he took in Duvaine's disheveled and terrified state before him, and she could feel his contempt. Before she could even open her mouth to mutter a thank you, or ask for an explanation, or sob, Fovi was pushing passed the guard with a look of concern written plainly on her beautiful face.

"Thank the Goddesses, you're alright!" She whimpered, and pulled Duvaine into a tight hug. Her anxiety washed over Duvaine, and she could feel that Fovi wasn't the only person in the castle with raging thoughts.

"What's happening?" She whimpered into the woman's shirt. Fovi drew back, eyeing the guard behind her; Duvaine blanched at the blood she left on Fovi's shirt. Fovi had grown in the last ten years, where she had grown taller, Duvaine had remained short. Where Fovi had gained complementing curves, Duvaine had barely grown a bust. Where Fovi had matured into a beautiful young woman, Duvaine had remained colorless and bland.

"It's alright princess, we need to get out of here now!" Fovi demanded, and she turned back to the grimacing guard. It was the first stitch of emotion that Duvaine could finally read from him: nervousness. Duvaine had seen it for months, whenever Fovi spared him a glance he seemed to seize with nervousness. Although Duvaine wasn't experienced in any kind of romantic love, it was obvious there was love pooling in his heart for Fovi, and there was currently fear for her safety; not his own.

She stared wide eyed at the man as he left the room, feeling his devotion like a slap in the face. What did it feel like to have somebody love you so unconditionally? She couldn't even muster enough intelligence to scold Fovi for calling her princess and not realizing Anoc's feelings.

"Wait outside for us, we'll meet you there in a moment." Anoc's gaze traveled over Fovi's face for a second then worriedly at Duvaine. Duvaine wondered how Fovi couldn't see it in Anoc's eyes the way he cared for her.

"Just hurry your highness." He muttered gruffly, before closing the door firmly behind him.

Before he had closed the door all the way, Fovi was shoving splintered wood off Duvaine's dresser and furiously pulling clothes out of it. She threw some clothing at the white haired girl, who barely managed to catch the projectiles.

"Hurry up and put those on, we have to get out of here." Fovi commanded, and Duvaine didn't hesitate to obey. The sound of swords clashing somewhere down the hall made Duvaine shiver with fear. The more she focused the more she could feel the pain of those throughout the castle, the more she could feel the agony and fear that flowed through the halls like a flood.

"What's happening?" She asked quietly as she pulled the long sleeved tunic over her head.

Fovi was stuffing things into a bag as Duvaine pulled on her clothes.

"Fovi." She whispered urgently, forcing her friend to look her in the eye. "What's happening?" She whimpered.

Fovi sighed and pulled a black tunic over her head, Duvaine pulled on the pair of pants trying not to get too close to the dead body taking up space on the floor. The sight and smell of blood made her want to puke, it curdled her stomach.

"The castle is under attack. I think I know why, but we can't talk here. Once we get out, I'll explain everything. _You_ are my biggest priority right now." She said. "I'll keep you safe."

Duvaine was shaking her head. "No, no. No! You have to save yourself before you save me—"

"I don't _have_ to do anything, now hurry up and put those on princess."

The pale haired girl didn't argue, she pulled her clothes and shoes on faster; soon enough Fovi was yanking her out the door and into the hall.

"Anoc!" She hissed into the hall, and the man appeared immediately, eyes glancing over the both of them and nodding in approval. Duvaine realized that her friend was wearing similar clothing to her own, although their heights were very different.

"Let's go." Anoc commanded, nudging Fovi forward with a gloved hand. He wore the armor of the private guard, pure white and yet it was splattered with blood. Duvaine wondered who's idea it was to make a soldiers uniform white, but her thoughts didn't have time to linger.

Anoc led them through the stone cold hallways, the clang of sword fighting echoed across the grounds like fireworks. Duvaine had never felt such terror in her life, but she did her best to be brave for Fovi at least. It was strange how the once comforting walls seemed to be shrinking down on her small form, making her feel trapped in the sorrow. It was a horrible feeling, and Duvaine couldn't shake the helplessness; then she realized she wasn't the only one feeling this way.

Duvaine squeezed Fovi's hand as they jogged down another stretch of hallway; Anoc skidded to a stop and Duvaine and Fovi both bumped into his back. He raised a protective arm towards them, but Duvaine could see that there were four men ahead of them hacking down a few soldiers. The attackers were dressed in leathers, no marks to claim them for any specific kingdom or group. They appeared to be common cutthroats as they hacked down Elohn's blue clad soldiers.

Duvaine's heart plummeted, and she could feel Fovi's helplessness and fear increase tenfold when the raiders turned towards them. Duvaine's hands began to tremble as the look in their eyes leaked into her soul.

"Stay back princess." Anoc muttered under his breath, and the men ahead of them charged forward. The smell of blood, sweat and death filled Duvaine's nostrils; she couldn't hold back a whimper.

Their anger was consuming them, their need to kill making them animals as they swung their swords and axes in the air with cries of war leaving their lips. Anoc pushed the pair of girls back further and drew his sword in a fluid motion. Duvaine set her eyes on the man in the front, charging at them with a large stupid grin on his face, mace held high.

He was happy, excited to hurt them, to kill them. Duvaine felt her own anger flare, when the man halted in his tracks. His companions halted as well, and Anoc paused uncertainly.

"Princess?" He asked, glancing back with a nervous look.

Duvaine blinked, not hearing him or feeling Fovi's hand around her gloved one. The mercenaries ahead were all frozen, then doubled over in pain. It hurt Duvaine's eyes to watch, but she couldn't rip them away; horror struck at what had come over them. Their unnatural screams filled the halls of the castle, the sound pierced Duvaine's ears and burned into her memory. Her own horror matched Fovi's, but Fovi had much more sense than Duvaine did.

"Look away!" Fovi pulled Duvaine's face into her chest, tears of terror were falling heavily down her pale cheeks. Duvaine's entire frame shook in fear and she shrunk away from their screams and their pain.

"Hurry now." Anoc said, as if nothing had happened; the guard couldn't hide his disgust, and slight horror. "Just this way, almost there." He gestured them to hurry, sweat beaded on his forehead.

Fovi tucked the weeping Duvaine under her arm as they hurried after Anoc, down the hall and down a spiral staircase. The air grew colder and Duvaine found herself shivering; she knew exactly where they were.

The coldness of the dungeons was not something that she could forget, her and Fovi had snuck there too many times in their childhood. They passed many rooms, their gate turning from quiet into a full sprint. At the end of several rows of cages, torture rooms, and labs, was a door where they threw the useless corpses outside. Anoc was quick to pull out a key and unlock the heavy door when they reached it.

Duvaine cringed into Fovi suddenly. "I can hear them." She whispered frantically. "They're coming."

Fovi cursed under her breath and Anoc gave her a disbelieving look, so she cursed at him too. "Hurry up Anoc!" She demanded, pulling Duvaine closer to her side.

Sure enough, the sound of stomping boots could be heard at the entrance of the dungeons.

"There's the princess! Get her! She's mine! There! Kill her!" They all screamed and yelled, Duvaine whimpered in panic.

Before the mass of men could get closer, the metal door swung open and they pushed through it. Anoc was quick to shut it tightly right behind them, there were shouts of anger and fury yelled down the hall as the giant door banged shut and the enormous lock twisted back into place with a resounding clang.

Duvaine was shivering, trying to block out the awful mixture of emotion. Anoc didn't give her a moments rest as he pulled them along again. The outside air was cold and Duvaine could see her breath, the trees around the pit were all sickly colors from the nutrients of the corpses they absorbed regularly. The exit they had taken was a disgusting place. It was where they dumped the carcasses, a mixture of animal bones and human remains were scattered throughout the barren field, some fresher than others. The trees surrounded it, keeping the area secluded and protected from the public. Anoc stomped through the field, kicking skulls out of the way as he went. Fovi still held her tightly, she wasn't sure if it was to comfort her or herself.

Elohn was a land of trees, almost the entire country was forest. Their biggest industry was lumber, and their largest competitor was Hyrule to the north and Azehl to the the east, Duvaine had no idea what lay to the west.

Duvaine had never been anywhere outside the castle, but she had always dreamed of traveling to Hyrule's lands one day. Fovi had told her many stories of what it was supposed to be like, and how everybody there was free, even the princess.

"Stay here, hide in the brush there. Don't move until I come back." Anoc commanded with authority in his tone. Fovi gave him a pointed look before he sprinted away. The girls hunkered down below the brush, both watching for any raiders.

"Where are we going?" Duvaine asked, her stomach curling from all of the emotions.

"Far away, where they won't ever find us." Fovi whispered with a smile, but Duvaine couldn't smile back.

"Anoc loves you." Duvaine whispered, and she could have sworn that Fovi's breathing hitched.

"Of course he does princess." She giggled. "Who doesn't?"

Duvaine sniffed, "Me. Especially when you call me princess." She muttered.

Fovi laughed, but she couldn't hide her anxiety, she should've known better than to try and hide it. She was just as scared as Duvaine felt.

"Fovi... What if someone recognizes me...?" She asked in a hushed whisper.

"They won't, how could they?" Fovi asked, and Duvaine gave her a disbelieving look.

"Look at me Fovi. White hair, white eyes, white everything. It would be easy for anyone to know me and remember." She explained quietly.

"You're forgetting about your cute little button nose, and your heart shaped face, and your cute little cheeks!" Fovi cooed, pinching her cheek gently.

Duvaine would've laughed any other day, but she couldn't even muster a smirk. Fovi's hand dropped like an anchor at Duvaine's saddened expression.

"Fine, you're right. Here, put this on." Fovi pulled a black bandanna from around her neck and helped Duvaine wrap it around the bottom half of her face. Then Fovi dug a hood out of the back of Duvaine's warm tunic and stuffed all her hair inside it. The thin fabrics helped make her feel more secure, but she knew they wouldn't offer her any protection against a man with a sword.

"Thank you." She whispered, and Fovi gave her hand a small reassuring squeeze.

"Listen, I think I know where these raiders came from—"

"That way!" A voice yelled, and the sounds of pounding horse hooves was thundering towards them. Anoc came racing around the corner on a large brown speckled stallion and a smaller mare beside it. Fovi pulled Duvaine out of the brush with a quick reassuring yell.

Fovi leaped up onto the horse, and yanked Duvaine up behind her. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she squeezed Fovi around the middle tightly. There were men pursuing them on horses, looking angry that their prey was escaping.

"Hyah!" Fovi called, and the horse bolted forward with a whinny. Duvaine clung to Fovi tightly with her eyes squeezed shut, trying to keep her breathing even and trying to drown out the men's cries for blood.

Anoc was close behind them as the trees blurred passed. It was her first time outside the castle, and yet she couldn't unbury her nose from the back of Fovi's shirt.

Fovi's familiar scent calmed her, yet her fear was potent, causing it to run through Duvaine's veins as well. The sound of the pursuers behind them was getting louder and closer; she had to swallow down a sob building in her throat. Their angry shouts and whoops into the night air was making it harder and harder to keep the sob down.

The sound of a horse right beside them made Duvaine's eyes fly open, wild and scared. It took her a wild moment to realize it was only Anoc.

"Go princess, I'll fend them off." Anoc's gruff shout should've been reassuring. "Keep her close." Anoc added, passing a glance over Duvaine before spurning his horse and falling back behind them.

"What's he doing?" Duvaine demanded, Fovi's face looked resigned, but she could detect the utter sorrow and torture that was hidden beneath her gaze. It was in that moment that Duvaine realized that Foci loved Anoc as much as he loved her; somehow she unburied her courage and made up her mind.

"He's letting us get away." The redhead choked out, and Duvaine felt her heart expand for the guard.

He was already gone, for the first time Duvaine turned around and she could see their knight charging into battle. He took two men down before he was cut off his horse by a long-sword across the back.

"Stop the horse." Duvaine whispered.

"No."

"Stop the horse now!" Duvaine demanded, her voice rising; Fovi reluctantly skidded their horse to a stop, Duvaine never raised her voice.

"We can't let his sacrifice be for nothing Duvaine!" Fovi cried, "What are you doing!?"

Duvaine slid off the back of the horse before Fovi could hold her in place. Her friend's eyes were wild in fright and it rolled off her in waves.

"Go Fovi! Get away from here! I'll find you in Hyrule, run and don't ever look back!" Duvaine cried, her voice soft even when she wanted it be loud and confident.

"I can't lose you too princess. Please!" Fovi begged, attempting to get off the horse. Before she could dismount, Duvaine smacked the horse's backside; Fovi yelped as her horse lurched forward, clutching at the reins hopelessly.

"I'll save him for you." Duvaine whispered, turning back to the sound of clashing metal in the distance. Her short legs didn't seem fast enough as she sprinted back through the dark woods, leaves and grass biting at her heels. Her breath came in gasps, her chest heaving.

There were three men left, two lay dead and their horses dragged them behind. Two men had gotten off their horses, attempting to finish Anoc off. The knight had managed to push himself against a tree, barely on his feet. The only man left on a horse turned towards the path where Duvaine stood, pausing when he spotted her there.

"I'm the princess!" She called with a shaky breath, the other two stopped advancing on Anoc to look at her.

"What are you doing?!" Anoc yelled, " _Run_!"

Duvaine didn't need to be told twice. The last thing she saw was the men lunging towards their horses before she started running. The grass clutched at her ankles and legs as she sprinted through the foliage, sobs breaking through her throat. She could hear them behind her, they yelled with glee, taunting her, telling her what they were going to take turns doing to her before they killed her.

The sound of thundering hooves was right behind her, she knew she was going to die.

 _If they kill me, then they'll kill Fovi._ She thought. That was not an option, she would not allow them to hurt Fovi.

The sky was turning light, the sun promising a day filled with blood. The light allowed her to see ahead, and it probably saved her life. Just before the hooves were upon her, she jumped. There was a yell of disappointment behind her as she scrambled into a hollow log. The riders circled the clearing, she could hear the hooves halt and hear them all dismount.

Their anger filled the atmosphere, she could taste it in the air like a putrid odor. Their ill intentions made her sick, their glee for doing something so purely evil infuriated her.

"I can't wait to present her head to the King." One of the voices growled, she could hear somebody crouching beside the edge of the log and look in, and she could feel somebody's hand graze her foot; she barely held in her whimper. She was thankful for the black clothing that Fovi had given her.

"Who's to say _you'll_ present her head to the King?" Another voice quipped, "We're all gonna do her in."

 _"I'm_ the commander of this regiment, I will be presenting her head to the King." The last voice asserted.

"You?" The first one asked, "You wen' an got Cal and Jifleth killed! You're a commander then I'm a knight!" The sound of metal being unsheathed made her shiver, she couldn't stop herself from trembling. The sobs were quiet as she buried her face in her hands. It wasn't long until the clash of metal filled the clearing.

Their greed consumed them from the inside out, even the last man to land a blow fell soon afterwards. Duvaine found herself frozen in fear within the empty stinking log.

The sun was pealing over the horizon when she finally crawled out of the retched log, she knew she would smell like mildew for a week. Her breath was heaving when she made it back to Anoc, who was trying to mount one of the horses. He jumped when Duvaine appeared, his sword at the ready, she could see blood welling from his cloak.

"Where's Fovi?" He demanded, his worry plain; he winced.

"She's on her way to Hyrule, we need to find her." Duvaine told him in a small voice. "You need to find her."

"Me? You're coming too—"

"This way! They're over here!" The shouts were faint, in the distance, but too close all the same.

"Go. I'll find you both." Duvaine whispered, "You love her, and she loves you. Now go."

The man look shocked, his eyes wide, as if he didn't believe her, as if he was going to deny it.

"Go!" Duvaine demanded, shoving him towards his horse. With renewed strength, he leaped onto the stallion with one bound and was thundering in the same direction Fovi had taken. The shouts were getting closer, and Duvaine jumped onto the remaining horse with much difficulty as she was so small.

She took a different route, towards Hyrule, towards freedom. The men came thundering around the castle just as her horse plunged into the trees. They would follow her, they would try to kill her.

But then they wouldn't go after Fovi.


	3. Run

**_Quick Shoutout to LevinKnight for that review! Thanks for the input, I appreciate it! Thanks for the follows and favorites too you guys! I'm glad you liked it enough to hit that button! :D_**

 _ **Here's Chapter 2, leave a review and tell me what you think! :3**_

 **Run**

* * *

 _"One day we'll get out of here. We'll run away and survive in the woods as tree people."_ Fovi's voice echoed in Duvaine's mind, a happy memory.

The next time she saw Fovi, she was going to tell her how wrong she was about the wilderness.

It had been almost a week since she was separated from them; it had been, _by far_ , the worst week of her life. Somehow, her horse had helped her evade her pursuers. There hadn't been a sign of them in a day, yet she was in fear of them every waking moment. She hadn't slept at all the first two days of running, and had finally stopped out of sheer exhaustion on the third day.

If you were to question her, she couldn't tell you where she slept or even if she had gotten off the horse that night. What she _could_ remember was waking up to the sound of pounding hooves. In a moment of blind panic, she had stripped her horse of it's saddle bag and sent it careening into the forest. She had crouched in fear until the men stampeded by with whoops and shouts of glee. Sleep was the last thing on her mind as she started running in a different direction. Too soon she couldn't hold her pace and so she began walking.

And walking.

 _And walking._

On the bright side, it gave her time to admire the forest; seeing as she had never been away from the castle for long, it gave her time to see what kind of wonders she had been missing out on. The trees were amazing, they made her feel much smaller than she already was. It amazed her that such huge things could be _alive_.

Then there was the sweet smell of the forest after rainfall, and there was the rainfall itself, and there was the mud, and bugs. The bugs were interesting, she could see them but couldn't feel them if she reached out. They somehow evaded her, or maybe she was just too slow. Soon enough though, the forest lost its' wonder as the unfamiliar fatigues of traveling began to set in.

She was going to give Fovi a real piece of her mind the next time she saw her. Her legs ached, she could barely move after the first day of walking. Never had she felt such pain in her legs, never had she had to walk such long distances with a bag on her back and rain drizzling on her head. After a few days her legs didn't quite hurt, they just felt numb; it was as if she was waiting for them to collapse under her. The cool rain assured that she was constantly shivering, she didn't think she would know what it felt like to be warm and dry ever again either.

Almost a week of running, a week of shivering, a week of terror, of hunger... and she hadn't seen any signs of people since she left the castle behind. Surely she should've come across some roads or something by now. There _were_ towns and villages between Hyrule's border and the capital of Elohn; she thought she had seen it upon a map _somewhere_ when she should've been paying attention.

A constant rain had begun to drizzle over her again, and her stomach felt more hollow than ever before. Luckily, there had been some kind of dried meat in the bag she stole, but she had eaten all of it as soon as she discovered it. Currently, she wished she had rationed it. Her muscles were tired, she wanted to abandon the bag, but knew it was a bad idea. There was a large knife in it, an empty water canteen, and a small sack of rupees. Although, the more she walked the more she wanted to drop the burden.

She wanted to lay down and sleep for as long as she pleased, but knew it was a bad idea. She wanted to find the nearest town and beg somebody for food, but knew that was the worst idea of all. As soon as she was recognized she would be dragged back to the castle and she would probably never see Fovi again.

The thought brought tears to her eyes. Every time she thought about quitting, every time she wanted to just lay down and die, she thought of Fovi and the danger she could be in. This thought was all that kept her going, she had to make sure Fovi was alright. Fovi was her only friend, she wasn't going to let her go without a fight. Even if she couldn't fight... She balled her small hands into little fists, fighting back tears and biting her trembling lip.

It was almost twilight when she smelled it, her hands quivered in fear and her eyes darted every which way. It took her a moment to identify the odd smell as smoke, and cooked meat, and yet she couldn't sense a single person. The trees began to clear, and she came across a dirt road worn with wagon tracks and potholes. Instead of walking on it, she stayed in the brush and kept the road in sight. Her heart was beating faster and faster as her anxiety was brought to an all time high. She bit her tongue, not knowing what to expect and afraid of what she would find.

When the village finally came into sight, her breath caught in her throat. Only a few of the houses were left standing, the rest of them were nothing but burned rubble. A gasp of horror left her lips, she couldn't stop it; it quickly turned into a quiet sob. Despite her trembling, she forced herself to enter the village, inspecting a few of the heaps on the ground. With a cry of horror she realized the heaps strewn about were people, most decomposing, some had obviously been scavenged by animals. The sight made her sick to her stomach, she fell to her knees and was sick right there in the middle of the deserted street. There wasn't much to expel from her stomach, and so she sat on her knees heaving in the death strewn street.

 _It's my fault, they're looking for their princess._

A sob left her chest as she sat there among the corpses; she had no idea how long she was there, curled in on herself in despair. What kind of horrors was she capable of if she could bring death to an entire village without ever seeing them? Why had they deserved it? These people had done nothing!

It took a long time for her sobs to subside, and she was finally pulled back to reality when her stomach began to growl. She cried angrily at her impatient body and it's insensitive needs, not even allowing her a moment to grieve for the people. Her entire frame ached and fatigue hit her like a stampeding horse. Finally willing herself to stand, she floundered towards one of the homes still partly standing. It smelled like death within, and it was obvious animals had taken advantage of the vacancy. Every standard that she may have had had been blasted away days ago. All she could see was the horror stricken faces of the dead people in the street and was grateful she had a roof over her. She wished she was strong enough to bury them, give them a little peace in the destruction she had unknowingly caused.

After some shameful rifling and searching, she found some food sealed within a jar. She ate it hungrily, but it didn't do much to soothe her rolling stomach. The tears were still fresh on her cheeks when she slid down to the ruined floor and curled up into a small ball. It didn't take much effort to try and fall asleep, and soon enough she was sleeping quietly.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

It was the sound of horses that woke her. The sound of hooves beating on the ground made her eyes fly open in a panic. No sooner had she tensed to run, than the riders disappeared into the forest. Her heartbeat decreased as they faded into the distance; she measured she had slept through the entire night and most of the day. With a groan, she checked her bag once more to ensure she had all supplies she had found the night before.

Her feet hurt, it was obvious her boots were not meant for travel and she had already worn a hole through the bottom of the right boot. Upon further inspection, she discovered multiple red blisters on her feet. They were sensitive to the touch and clear liquid oozed out of one painfully.

"Need these?" A gravelly voice asked.

The girl twisted around with a gasp, a hand clutching her throat to stop the cry. There was a figure sitting in the darkened corner of the littered room; they stood painfully, clutching a small cane. The figure chuckled, and Duvaine's eyes widened as she recognized the old woman's figure.

She looked ancient, wrinkled skin and faint purple eyes; her hair was as brittle as hay and unkempt. She held out a pair of boots to Duvaine, who eyed the woman in astonishment and uncertainty.

" _U-Uma?_ " She asked unevenly, the woman smiled a toothless grin. Duvaine remembered when the nanny had disappeared, she had always just assumed the woman had died. She and Fovi had even had a small memorial after she vanished from the castle.

"Yes dear, now put these on. You will need them." The woman moved closer, Duvaine caught a wiff of the woman's awful smell but didn't say a word. She hadn't even noticed her before, she had to really focus to be able and read the emotions trickling off her.

Although she was more than surprised to see the ancient nanny, she was glad to see a familiar face. It had been days since she felt even remotely reassured, and Uma's sudden appearance made her feel calm, as if everything would be all right. Without arguing, she sat down on the floor and put the new boots on. They were warm and sturdy, built for long distances; they were also the last thing on her mind.

"What happened here?" Duvaine asked quietly, voice barely above a whisper.

"Speak up girl, nobody can hear you!" The woman moved closer until her ear was almost touching Duvaine's nose.

"I said what happened here, to this village?" She tried again, her voice quavering.

"They were looking for you of course." Uma smiled a toothy grin and Duvaine had to stifle a sob. "They think one of your father's monsters stole the princess. Is it true?" The woman asked, her eyes laughing; she obviously knew the truth.

Duvaine couldn't even reply, the shock still plain.

"I need to find Fovi." Was all she said before turning towards the door stiffly. A wrinkly, yet strong hand wrapped around her arm.

"Wait just a minute my dear." The woman smiled, "First I have to tell you something."

Duvaine blinked, trying to process the woman's sudden excitement that gave her an uneasy feeling. "Yes?" she asked in a small voice.

"To break the curse, you must find him. Find the Hero and break the curse. He'll know what to do." The old woman's breath was hot against Duvaine's cheek and she couldn't help but curl away. The old woman's words didn't make sense. Hero? What Hero? How could he break the curse?

The woman released Duvaine from her grip and briskly made her way outside, back hunched over more than Duvaine remembered. She stood there dazed for a moment before blinking in confusion.

"Wait!" She called, following the woman's path. But when she stepped outside, the road was empty. There was no woman, and there were no answers.

There was an odd chill in the air, the bodies that had been abandoned in the street were nowhere in sight; it sent a tremor of unease down Duvaine's back. Before she could find out where they had gone, she rushed back inside and gripped her bag tightly between her gloved fingers before sprinting for the treeline in a northern direction.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

More walking. More running. More fear. Duvaine was sure she would be used to all of them soon enough.

Uma's words kept replaying in her head, _Find the Hero. Break the curse._

How was she supposed to find him? How was she supposed to know it _was_ him if she did find him?

Her emotions were unraveling, the constant pain and fear and worry were becoming too much. She had continued walking for two entire days after Uma's strange appearance; she hadn't come across anything or anyone. Only the trees kept her company, and sometimes the birds.

The rain had stopped days ago, but that didn't mean anything to her. The trees and the earth were both a rich green, but Duvaine didn't have the willpower to admire them. All she could feel was her hollow stomach, her aching feet, and her despairing heart.

 _One more step._

She forced herself forward.

 _One more step._

Her legs fell out from beneath her. The soft grass rushed up to her face and she barely managed to catch herself.

 _I_ can't _keep going._

Silent tears fell down her face, and despair twisted her heart. How could she get to Fovi if she couldn't walk anymore?

A loud growl filled the small clearing and she froze before realizing it was her own stomach. She had never felt so hungry in her entire life.

But the hunger was nothing compared to the pain coursing through her legs. They were shaking, her muscles trembled beneath her small weight. For a long time she lay there, wishing for death and at the same time cursing it. When the pain in her legs faded into a dull ache, she painfully forced herself to her feet.

 _One more step._

One _more step._

XXXXXXXXXXXX

She had lost track of the days, she stopped caring how long it had been. Night, day. What did it matter? It was impossible for anyone to sneak up on her... So she thought. It seemed that Uma had proven that false somehow.

It was an early morning when she saw them. She was half crazed by her hunger, there was nothing else she could think about. The only thing she could feel was her stomach and how empty it was.

Why hadn't Uma given her some food? Food was all she really wanted. _Food._

Tomatoes, or apples, lettuce, crackers... _Anything_.

And then she spotted them. From far away they looked like flowers, but upon closer inspection it was obvious that they were berries.

Berries.

Bright red luscious berries.

 _Food._

A puff of air left her lips, and a small cry of victory. She hadn't moved so fast in days, practically sprinting for the bush despite her aching muscles. Almost savagely, she yanked the cloth down around her neck and grabbed the closest fruits. They burst in her hands, the juice running onto her gloves, her lips, her cheeks. And yet she didn't care. It didn't matter what state each berry was in: unripe, ripe, over-ripe; they all were shoveled into her ravenous jaws.

Finally, her stomach seemed to be appeased. For the moment, the pain in her abdomen had subsided; and that allowed room for the fatigue in her legs to move in. Finally, she decided to rest and found herself leaned against a great oak tree without remembering how she got there. Then there was a new feeling in her stomach, a painful twist that wasn't right.

Before she knew it, she was throwing up. Her stomach retched as she heaved into the grass pitifully. Her mouth tasted terrible and she was covered in a cold sweat. It hadn't even occurred to her that the berries could be poisonous or make her sick. She had been too hungry to think or care. But now it was a thousand times worse, her stomach was rolling and she felt feverish.

Oh, she was definitely going to have some words with Fovi about the wilderness.

Her mouth tasted disgusting, even swirling water in her mouth didn't banish the bile. For a long time she sat there, only moving to get away from her stomach's contents. Then she knew that she was going to die.

Instead of feeling fear, she felt melancholy. It saddened her that she couldn't even get far enough from Elohn to feel free. Fovi would wonder what happened to her, and then she would forget and live on with Anoc by her side. The anguish gripped her heart; she thought of all the places she would never see, the experiences she had missed and the life she could've had if she wasn't born into Elohn. After a while the pain became too much and the sorrowful thoughts slid from her mind as she tried to bare the pain silently. Pain flared across her stomach, she curled in on herself, burying her face into her knees and squeezing.

She wasn't sure how many hours she waited for death. Death didn't seem like such a terrible thing as her stomach began to cramp harder, horrible ripples of pain tore through her abdomen and spread to her chest. It couldn't be much longer, death wasn't supposed to be this painful.

Her mind was clouded, fogging over the new presences that skipped into the clearing. Duvaine didn't even notice them until she heard their voices.

"I'm going to pick the most!" A boy declared.

"No! I am!" Another retorted.

"Stop it right now you two! These berries are for my sweet Link, and I don't want you two messing it up!" A girl's voice scolded.

Duvaine stiffened and lifted her head towards the intruders, a hand clutching at her stomach as another burst of pain consumed her. She couldn't help the small moan of pain that left her sore throat, dried tears coated her face and a sheen of sweat covered her features. Everything was blurry, as if she was trying to see through a fog bank.

"What was that?" A young male voice asked nervously, then Duvaine heard a gasp. "There's a person! I think..." It didn't even occur to her that her face wasn't covered as it should've been.

"Get back!" Another small voice quavered, their unease filled her with fear. "She could be dangerous."

Duvaine's heart sank, they were only children! Just by being near them she was placing them in danger.

"I don't think she's Hylian... She looks sick." A female voice announced, closer than the others. The girl's face was blurry in Duvaine's vision, but she could just make out a swath of blonde hair.

"Get back Beth!" The same boy commanded. "We need to go get Link, or an adult-"

Her heart rate sky-rocketed in panic.

"No!" She groaned, trying to sit up and failing. "Help... berries... poisonous..." She collapsed against the bark of the tree, and felt a small hand press against her forehead gently.

"Beth! Get away!" The boy hollered.

"She needs help Talo. Malo! Do you still have the potion?" The girl, Beth, demanded.

"Yes, but Link said it's just for emergencies-"

"This _is_ an emergency. Give it to her." Another boy said, Duvaine could barely make out where the voices were coming from. The dark haired boy, Malo, pressed a bottle against her lips and she drank deeply. The liquid was warm as it slid down her throat, and before it even hit her gullet her vision began to clear.

"There there, you'll feel better soon." The girl assured, patting Duvaine's shoulder affectionately. The potion filled her with warmth from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. The girl boggled Duvaine's mind, she was so kind to a stranger. The children watched her as her vision slowly began to clear, until she was looking up into four young faces. Three boys, one girl.

"Are you alright?" The blonde haired boy asked uncertainly, Duvaine could only stared at them with wide frightened eyes. She hadn't spoken to anyone besides Uma, and she had been so sure the first people she met would recognize her for what she was.

"Maybe she can't talk." The boy beside him pointed out, he was taller than the blonde but with shaggy brown locks and bright brown eyes.

"She just did a second ago you idiot." The smaller brunette rolled his eyes, and Duvaine could see a resemblance between them.

"I think she's a fairy." The girl breathed, not taking her eyes away from Duvaine's face. The girl's piercing gaze made Duvaine shift uneasily, uncomfortable under her stare.

"Are you alright miss? You must have eaten some Pril's Bane, it looks exactly like regular berries." The blonde boy offered, coming closer to her and crouching beside her leg. "Where did you come from?"

Again, she stared at him open mouthed, unable to find her voice. The children all looked at her expectantly, she tried to shy away from their blatant curiosity.

"I don't think she's a talker." The shaggy brunette whispered after a few moments of strained silence.

"Be quiet Talo, let her speak." Beth scolded, but then her eyes softened. "Well, I guess you don't _have_ to speak..."

Their eyes pierced her face, when she finally managed a peep it came out as a terrible cough.

"Have some water." The blonde boy offered, "I'm Colin. This is Malo and Talo, and Beth."

Duvaine drank all of the water in one gulp, wiping the drip from her chin shyly. Although they had seen her face, she pulled the hood higher over her head and pulled the cloth back into place over her mouth. Although it didn't do anything, she felt safer behind the coverings.

"Th-thank you for helping me." She whispered, the children all leaned in to catch her words.

"What's your name?" Talo asked, but she looked away instead of answering.

"Do you need help? Directions? Where are you headed? Our village can help..." Colin offered, "Link and my father Rusl would be glad to help."

"Please, don't tell any- _anyone_ about me." She squeaked, trying to cough the itch from her throat. "Nobody can know I'm here."

"Why not? Are you a fairy?" Beth asked. For a second, Duvaine faltered, but then she nodded.

"Yes, and there are... h-hunters after me." Her voice quavered, that was almost the truth.

"We won't tell anyone, I promise!" Beth smiled, seeming to like the idea of being friends with a fairy.

"Beth!" Colin whined, he was uneasy.

"What?" She demanded with hands on her hips.

"We don't know her! You can't just make deals with a stranger!" He lowered his voice, although Duvaine could still hear him just fine.

"I wouldn't hurt any of you." Duvaine told him in a small voice. "I don't want you to get hurt, which is why you can't tell anyone."

The children stood in silence for a few moments, and then a solid conviction seemed to solidify in each of them.

"Are you hungry?" Beth asked, and Talo's eyes seemed to bug out of his head.

"Wait Beth-!"

"I don't care what you say Talo! I'm not going to leave her all alone out here to starve to death!" She stood and pointed an angry finger at him.

"I was just going to say I wanted to eat too..." Talo hung his head and his brother snickered.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Duvaine found herself curled up beneath a fort of sticks and branches. A cough racked her body and she sipped gratefully at the water Colin had left her. Unease boiled in her chest, the only thing dividing her and discovery were those rambunctious kids.

They had promised to return, and Duvaine prayed to the goddesses she could trust them. More than anything, she wanted some time to rest. Her limbs were tired, if soldiers were to discover her she knew that she didn't stand a chance. She was vulnerable, and that frightened her. Every twig that snapped, every leaf that stirred in the breeze, made her jump with fright, waiting for men with swords and bludgeons to strike her down.

The fort was cool and shaded, the kids had known what they were doing when they twisted the branches together and gave her a bed of dried leaves to rest upon. Their kindness had brought tears to her clouded eyes, leaving her speechless. They left shortly after, promising to bring her back some food and more medicine, each one swearing they wouldn't tell a soul they had seen her.

Each one had been more than sincere, and yet her conscious wasn't at ease. Something in the air didn't feel right, yet she was too exhausted to pinpoint exactly what it was.

Before she could ponder more, there was a tickle in her chest and the children's voices could be heard through the walls of her fort. Their excitement enveloped her like an unfamiliar blanket. They had only been away for an hour, and yet it felt like an eternity.

"C'mon!" One of them shouted, and she could hear them racing to her shelter with laughs of glee.

"Hello?! Miss Fairy? Are you still here?" Beth called as she pulled some twigs aside from the doorway. Duvaine sat up sluggishly, groaning at the soreness in her weak legs and ache in her feet. "There you are! We brought you some food and medicine!" She announced with a smile.

Duvaine smiled as much as she could, Beth squeezed into the small place and sat beside her. The boys stayed outside, all poking their heads in and straining to see Duvaine's face.

"Thank you." She whispered kindly with a smile.

"Drink the water first." Colin said. Duvaine uneasily pulled Fovi's cloth down around her neck again and drank the water from the canteen.

With a splutter, she spit the substance out. It burned her mouth painfully and she began to cough heavily again.

"What's wrong?" Colin asked.

"I'm not sure..." Beth replied.

Duvaine kept coughing until the pain subsided, and didn't pick the canteen up again. "I can't drink that." She whispered.

"Why not?" Talo asked with an air of exasperation.

Duvaine only shrugged.

"Alright, here's some food..." Beth handed her a small basket filled with fruits and dried meats. Duvaine only barely remembered her manners as she popped the first fruit into her mouth.

"Mmmmm..." She mumbled as she chewed, half the basket was empty by the time she was finished. Never in her life had she been so grateful to strangers.

"Do you feel better?" Beth asked, and Duvaine nodded timidly. "Will you be here tomorrow?"

Duvaine thought about it for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I believe so..." She answered quietly, knowing it was a terrible idea to stay and also knowing she had nowhere else to go.

Beth's excitement filled the room, Malo aloof, Colin inquisitive, and Talo exuberant. Their feelings were like a siphon, and raised Duvaine's spirits.

"I'm so glad! You can stay here for the night! We'll be back to check on you tomorrow." Beth smiled.

"Will you be alright out here all by yourself?" Colin asked, and Duvaine nodded shyly. "Alright, we'll see you tomorrow."

The children all waved goodbye before disappearing into the forest again. Duvaine sat on the pile of leaves before sinking to the ground with a sigh. Never in her life, would she have thought that she would be sleeping on leaves, or that they could be so comfortable. It didn't take much for the fatigue to consume her, she was sleeping deeply before the children were out of earshot.

XXXXXXXXXXXX


	4. Unearthed

**Thanks for the favorites and follows guys! I love it that you love it! XD**

 **LevinKnight: I'm glad you think so! I like this version much better too, and you'll see in this chapter that I have changed the plot up. I hope to hear more from you!**

 **Alrighty then! Leave a review to let me know how I'm doing, complaints, comments, declarations of love, you know... whatever you want really.**

 ** _Enjoy!_**

 ** _:3_**

 **Unearthed**

* * *

The children visited her in the woods everyday for five days. They brought food, water, and most importantly: happiness. Duvaine knew she shouldn't linger so long, but the forest wasn't an inviting place; the longer she stayed the harder it was becoming to leave. Those children were not making it any easier on her either. Duvaine had only known them for a short amount of time, and yet it felt like forever. Being near them filled her with unspoken joy, being away from them filled her with dread. What was she doing? She knew that she should leave, she shouldn't have interacted with them after she met them at all. But she knew that also would have been impossible.

Beth absolutely adored her, and Duvaine couldn't understand why. All the young girl could talk about was moving to the city and a boy named Link whom she claimed to be in love with. It was quite clear to Duvaine that Beth didn't know what _that_ kind of love felt like... but then again, neither did Duvaine. Beth was sweet and innocent in her own bossy bratty way. Although the girl nagged her companions constantly, it was clear she had good intentions.

Colin was kindhearted, brave, and considerate. The other children looked up to him entirely, Duvaine wondered how he had won their loyalty. Her sixth sense could tell it hadn't always been that way; she could sense the missing animosity among them.

Talo was a hyper boy, always quick to say what came to his mind; it humored Duvaine that the boy's mess of brown hair matched his personality. He was constantly filled with excitement, his entire form seemed to be bursting at the seams with energy; it was a personality explicitly differing from his brother.

Malo was the tricky one, the only quiet one; he was the only one that seemed to remember their parent's warnings about strangers. The small quiet boy didn't jump to speak to her, or strain to see her face like the others did. It was clear her presence interested him like the others, but he had a healthy sense of caution. She hoped it wouldn't get her into trouble.

Getting to know them was making her anxiety worse. Every day she worried about them, dread seemed to be her only emotion now adays.

Above all, Duvaine knew that the children's village couldn't survive an encounter with Elohn military; they would surely share the same fate as the other town. Although she hadn't been near the village, or seen it, she could tell by the children's clothing and the dust that coated them that they weren't of higher class. She assumed they were likely a farming village, or maybe livestock. It didn't matter to her, what did matter was that they were in possible danger.

It was the morning of the sixth day that something felt odd. Duvaine had woken with the sun and was sitting beside a nearby stream. All morning she sat there contemplating; should she leave or stay? Of course she didn't want to leave quite yet, but it was a danger to the youths and their families. It was the only thing on her mind.

A small smile pulled at her lips when she glanced down to her neck. Beth had given her a necklace of flowers the day before and it was still draped over her shoulders. Some of them were crumpled from her sleep, but they were still a pretty lavender.

 _"To make your eyes pop."_ Beth had giggled, as if Duvaine's ghostly white eyes weren't noticeable enough already. She huffed.

She couldn't express how grateful she was to them for saving her; if they hadn't found her she would be dead. If they hadn't had that potion she would most _definitely_ be dead. Her mind kept coming back to this point, was she really so helpless that even children could save her? Had it been a mistake to think she could survive in the woods while walking across two entire countries?

The stream flowed by slowly, calmly, not matching her raging thoughts in the slightest.

After a great deal of contemplation, she knew the time had come for her to move on before the village suffered the consequences. Hyrule couldn't be far, and she wanted to find Fovi as soon as she could. There was only one problem...

Duvaine had no clue where she was, let alone where she could find Fovi.

That realization hit her hard, what if she _couldn't_ find Fovi? Dread dropped into her stomach like a rock, what was she going to do? Her reflection in the cool stream stared back worriedly, would her fear ever end?

The sun was high in the sky when she finally stood, the small clearing completely illuminated by its' rays. She glanced up at it, shielding her eyes in concentration. Usually the children had come by now. Something wasn't right, the air smelled odd... like smoke...

Her head whipped around in every direction, desperately trying to search over the trees. Her eyes skimmed over it three times before she noticed it. Off in the distance she could see a black cloud rising into the sky. Before she knew what she was doing, she was sprinting towards the smoke cloud; she had never been to the village, but she knew what direction it was in. Her frantic mind flashed to the burned village she had encountered and her gut clenched. Were her nightmares coming true? Surely the soldiers would spare children at least?! Her heart hammered in her chest and her eyes became damp with the horror filled thoughts tumbling through her disheveled mind.

Duvaine didn't know how close she had come to the village when she felt their signatures. A terror filled scream from ahead echoed through her eardrums; the force of their fear almost knocked her to her feet. There was something else, something dark and unforgiving. Something all too familiar. It filled her senses and drowned almost everything else from her mind.

Another scream sounded closer than before. She desperately tried to shove the bracken out of the way as she stumbled forward. With a yelp of surprise _,_ she collided with something small and terrified. They unceremoniously fell into a pile of limbs.

"Malo?!" She gasped in shock as she recognized the terrified form in her arms. "Are you alright?! What's wrong?!"

Before he could reply, the others were thundering through the bushes. Colin skidded to a stop beside them and desperately attempted to pull the pair to their feet.

"Come on!" He howled. "Get up! It's right behind us!"

Their panic hastened through her body in tremors, she barely had enough sense through the cluster to pick herself off the forest floor. A large loping figure crashed through the bushes towards them, it was filled with one desire and one desire only.

 _Kill._

Duvaine recognized a Bhit when she sensed one. It's height towered over any man, it had a large arched back and long black snout. It's eyes were shot with black, no pupils visible to an observer who dared to even get close enough. It had four legs and was said to run faster than a horse; Duvaine knew that they didn't stand a chance and found it amazing the beast hadn't caught the children yet. It must have been playing with them.

Before her body could freeze with fear, she yanked Malo to his feet just as the monster roared into the clearing.

"Run!" She gasped, the children didn't need to be told twice. The panting of the demon dog was loud behind them, she could feel its' breath on her neck. Her own breathing turned into gasps and the children squealed and cried in terror ahead of her.

"Keep going!" She used her loudest voice, letting the children run on. The demon growled behind her, it's need for blood overwhelming, almost bringing her to her knees.

Duvaine focused on the brutality of it, using her empathy to lock onto the blood lust and twisting it to her advantage. The Bhit skidded to a stop a breath away and howled in agony as she pushed it back with sheer willpower.

"What's happening?!" A small voice asked from behind her, she turned with wide eyes to see the children standing in a cluster of terror.

"Get away! It's dangerou _—_ " Her warning turned into a yelp of pain when a giant paw connected with her fragile body. Duvaine hit the ground with a thud, landing painfully on her left shoulder. The breath was knocked from her chest, panic seizing her for a moment when she failed to suck in a gulp of air.

 _I'm going to die_. She thought madly, and then her lungs were functioning again. She sucked in a painful gasp, the sounds of the Bhit finally reaching her eardrums again. It was growling and snarling, clawing at its' chest with razor sharpness; it didn't seem to notice it was drawing its' own blood. Duvaine flinched and found her connection to its' emotions again before shoving harder, but not without an infinite amount of guilt. The monster bellowed with all the wrath of hell and flailed its' massive forelegs wildly. Fear gripped Duvaine's heart at the sight of the children standing much to close, pressed against a tree.

"Get away!" She choked on the pain in her chest and the dark emotion that swirled through her. "Stay away from it!"

Before they could heed her warning, the Bhit lashed out. Malo shoved his brother out of the way and a long claw caught him. He stumbled to the ground, the rest of the children screaming in hysteria as they caught him.

"NO!" Duvaine screeched, her own rage and anguish fueling her effort to stop the monster. The Bhit gave another ferocious roar, bitterly swinging its' arms and splintering trees in its' wake. Duvaine shoved harder and the monster gave one last earsplitting roar before its' entire face went slack; it fell to the earth with a resounding boom and the forest fell silent.

Beth's cries of sorrow tore through the air first. Duvaine struggled to her feet, holding her arm in pain as she stumbled towards the heap that was Malo. She could smell blood and feel his pain as if it were her own. His arm was injured, she thanked the Goddesses it wasn't worse.

Before she could examine his wound, or approach them, there was a shout in the distance.

"Colin!?"

"Talo!? Malo!?"

"Beth?!"

The new arrival's panic hit her like a punch to the stomach. Her entire body tensed to run, and yet also sagged in exhaustion from her endeavor. The demon had conveniently disappeared in a cloud of smoke, effectively taking all her energy and leaving nothing but a pile of black ash. The parents in the near distance shouted once more, and yet she couldn't move. A small hand tugged on her sleeve, startling her out of her thoughts.

"Go. We'll take care of him." Beth released her sleeve. Duvaine knew she was responsible for this, all of it was her fault. They had sent the Bhit after her, she had led it right to the children. Tears sprung to her eyes, but she couldn't find her voice even to apologize.

"Go." Colin repeated, looking up at her with a nod.

Before she could make a decision for herself, a man was lumbering towards them through the brush.

"Malo? Talo?" The short but large man hollered, Duvaine's feet seemed to be rooted to the spot. He halted in his tracks, blinked at the children for a moment, spotting his injured son, and then glanced at Duvaine. It was as if a shadow was cast over him, his entire face darkened and his eyes narrowed into slits. "You hurt my boy?!" He hollered, charging forward.

Duvaine yelped in panic and fear. Leaping out of his way, she turned and fled into the trees. More of men crashed into the clearing behind her, but she didn't dare look back.

"No!" Beth cried.

"Stop!" Colin shouted.

"Papa?" Talo asked.

Their voices were drowned out by the rush of blood in her ears as she sprinted. The tears flowed freely from her eyes; she didn't try to wipe them away. Shame coursed through her, along with fear, sadness, and melancholy. She was absolutely exhausted, her entire body drained of energy, and yet she couldn't stop.

By the time she reached her shelter, sweat drenched her entire body. She could barely keep her eyes open, and her head was splitting with a headache. No amount of relief hit her as she rushed into the shelter and shoved her few belongings into her stolen saddle bag. Within a few measly minutes, she was ready to go.

But a few measly minutes was all he had needed to catch up.

As soon as she stepped back outside, she could sense him. Duvaine blinked into the brush for a moment as he sprinted into the clearing, coming to a standstill upon seeing her. The young man stood there scrutinizing her for a solid moment. His electric blue eyes seemed to penetrate her soul. His wild blonde hair was coated in dust, and he wore similar clothing to the children: sandals, a work shirt, some pants, and a wrap around belt. But Duvaine knew she had never seen a man more comely than the one standing before her. His handsome features put even Anoc to shame, she felt her knees weaken for a different reason; but it didn't last more than a moment.

His stately appearance didn't startle her so much as his emotions. Anger coursed through his veins, suspicion, sadness, loss. His eyes narrowed when he saw her, but strangely didn't seem hostile. He moved towards her just an inch, and she bolted into the trees with a cry of panic.

"Hey! Wait!" He hollered, giving chase behind her.

Duvaine let out a whimper of fear, she gripped her bag tightly, knowing her energy was gone. There was no way she could fight him, physically or mentally. Her shoulder ached and her head pounded with pain and over exertion.

"Stop!" He hollered again, she could tell he was gaining on her. His footsteps were right behind her, she could feel his breath on her neck. His fingers wrapped around the back of her tunic and...

Duvaine stumbled hard in the grass and they fell into a tumbled mess; she cried out in pain as her shoulder flared. He caught himself before he could land on her. Duvaine's breath thumped in her throat as she scrambled up again, a hand wrapped around her ankle. With a cry of panic, she fell back down, eliciting another burst of pain through her injury. The man's breathing was as rugged as hers, and he scrambled to grab her before she could bolt away again.

Duvaine sobbed in fear and flung her bag into his face as hard as she could. He made a surprised muffled noise, but his grip on her leg loosened enough for her to yank it away. Before Duvaine could get very far, a weight tackled her to the ground again. She landed on her stomach, all of her air knocked from her lungs again.

"Hey! Hold on a minute!" The man heaved, pinning her beneath him. "I just want to talk!"

Duvaine held still, squeezing her eyes shut and trying not to sob as she caught her breath. His weight shifted off of her, she considered running again before he was helping her up with strong arms. As soon as he had released her, she moved several steps away from him. Her entire body was tensed to flee, her hands trembled and her eyes were wide with fear. The man looked dumbfounded by her attempts to flee, part of him perplexed by her fear; she could see it in his eyes. His eyes roamed over her face, and she gave a peep of panic when she realized her hood had fallen off in their scuffle. She yanked it back up, shadowing her pale features from his view. He quirked a worried brow, but didn't comment on the action.

"Are you alright? Do you need help?" He asked, looking her over again; his gaze hovered over the arm she was cradling.

Duvaine stood with her mouth hanging open in shock. Did he just ask if she was alright? Why? More importantly, were the children alright?

"Is Malo alright?" She whispered, he blinked in surprise for a moment.

"He will be, I've seen worse."

Duvaine nodded and began to shuffle away slowly with her head down.

"Hold on a second! Who are you? Do you need help? Are there soldiers looking for you?" He asked.

Duvaine's blood ran cold, her reaction must have shown because his eyes widened and he held up his hands placadingly.

"No! No! No! I'm not with them, or trying to turn you in or anything!" He looked shocked by the very notion, and Duvaine could feel his sincerity.

"What do you want?" She asked nervously, avoiding eye contact. "I have nothing, please _—_ "

"I'm not trying to rob you either." He looked offended, and she blinked. "The children said you've been in the woods for several days, I know now why you were hiding. We thought they had made up an imaginary friend..."

Silence stretched over them, Duvaine's eyes were sagging lower and lower from exhaustion. "Was there a fire?" She barely managed, the man's eyes hardened.

"Yes, soldiers came in this morning looking for someone. They were from Elohn, we're the closest to their border. I'm surprised they came into Hyrulian territory with the intent of causing trouble." He growled.

Duvaine gasped, and the man looked around for a threat before setting his eyes on her again. "What?"

"This... is Hyrule?" She breathed.

He nodded slowly. "Yes, this is Ordona Province... you don't look so good..."

Duvaine could feel her consciousness fading, her knees wobbled beneath her small frame. "They can't know I'm here!" She gasped. "If they find me they'll kill everyone! I have to- to-"

She slumped forward before her legs gave out from beneath her. The Bhit had been too much, more than she could handle. Before she could hit the ground, the same strong arms from before caught her. The last thing she remembered was feeling weightless as the handsome stranger scooped her into his arms.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

It was the sound of soft voices that woke her. Whispered voices, worried voices, alarmed voices. There were only two of them, and yet they sounded like a thousand. She kept her eyes firmly shut, listening.

"If she is who we think she is we can't just turn her over to them. They're obviously looking for her, but their intentions didn't seem good." A male voice said quietly.

"Or they're just looking for their lost princess. Wouldn't you be just as aggressive if Princess Zelda had disappeared?" A light female voice asked. Duvaine shuddered at her insinuations.

"Princess Zelda wouldn't be running from her own men. So why would she? They're up to no good." The man's voice was familiar, Duvaine knew he was the one whom she had encountered in the woods.

There was a long pause, then a sigh. "I think you're right." The girl relented. "So what do you plan to do then?"

The man hummed. "Not entirely sure."

The girl snorted. "How am I not surprised?" She scoffed, which turned into a light hearted laugh. "Why don't you ask her when she wakes up?"

"You're not staying until she does?" He sounded surprised.

"No, I need to go help my father clean up what we can. I don't think Jaggle will have wood for us until Malo is better, so we're gonna start cleaning it out for now." The girl sighed. "I'll see you later Link, come let me know if you decide to leave."

 _Link_. The name washed over her. So that was her captor's name.

There was a deep sigh. "I'm sorry about the house." He said.

"It's not your fault, or hers. These kinds of things happen when a coward is given a little bit of power." The girl said, Duvaine could hear a door shut a moment later.

It was silent for a moment before there was a loud sigh. The boy, Link, muttered something under his breath before moving about the room. The sounds of his footsteps on the ground vibrated against Duvaine's ear. There was a copious amount of heat hitting her face, and she came to the conclusion that she was laying in front of a fire. For several minutes, she listened to the man bustle around the room.

It took her several moments to realize that she could still hear whispering. It hadn't only been the two talking, she could hear more voices. They seemed to be coming from beneath the floorboards.

The sound of climbing shook her from her reverie. Link had left her for the moment. Slowly, Duvaine dared to open her eyes. She had been right about the fire. It was warm against her face, the flames danced. She was laying on a few blankets, one draped over her small body. With a quick glance around the room, she could see a small dining area, the front door, and a ladder leading to an upstairs loft. Soft thumps and quiet murmuring told her Link was up there. While he was distracted, she searched for an entrance to the cellar.

When she saw the opening, she quietly rose. Her head still ached, her muscles were sore and stiff. As quietly as she could, she stepped down the ladder. The darkness swallowed her whole, and yet the voices grew louder and louder the lower she climbed. Her eyes adjusted slowly, the voices calling out to her.

 _Come._ They whispered.

 _Come._

 ** _Come!_**

They needed her, she needed them. They promised to help her, to help her, to help her!

A chill ran down her spine, and yet she couldn't pull out of the stupor the voices had pulled her into. They were the only thing she could hear, begging her, enticing her, beseeching her. Their voices overflowed in her mind. As she got closer to the source, they changed. They became painful, filling her head with menacing threats, the pleading turned to demands, the voices turning loud and sharp.

Finally, her eyes adjusted; the source of them willing her forward. The chest was only a dark shape in her poor vision, and she frantically felt the lid until she popped it open.

"What the _—_?!" The loud voice upstairs didn't faze her, she barely even registered it. "Where'd she go? Ummm? Excuse me? Miss?"

The voices screamed in her ears, she would've writhed with pain if she wasn't so intent on putting their wails to an end. Faceless objects were pushed aside as she rummaged through the chest; none of its' contents interested her. At the bottom, she spotted it.

It was in a small worn leather bag, glowing a faint orange. Her hand wrapped around it tightly, and pulled it out with great care. Her hands weren't her own, not even shaking as she peeled off her right glove. The pain in her left shoulder was forgotten. All she could see was the bag, all she could feel was the smoothness of the leather, and all she could hear were its' contents. All at once, the wails vanished; and yet she had see it, to hold it, to take its' power.

"There you are _—_ What are you doing! Don't _—_!" A voice behind her warned, but it was too late.

Her fingers wrapped around the shard and the bag thunked to the floor. The glowing fragment seemed to grow brighter in her hand, before she could even breathe she was whipped around. Duvaine was met with fierce blue eyes, wildly looking from her to the glowing object. Her heart thumped in her chest. His face was one of pure confusion, obviously trying to figure out what he was seeing.

Then it began to burn.

An agonized cry of pain left her throat, and yet she couldn't let go. It was stuck, her fingers wouldn't respond. Link's face turned from confused to stunned as she buckled to the ground. It felt like fire coursing through her right arm, threatening to spill over into the rest of her body. Before it could, something pried the cursed piece from her hand.

Her head swam, face contorted in pain. Just before she lost consciousness again, a beastly growl sounded in her ear.

XXXXXXXXXXXX


	5. Princess

**Princess?**

* * *

Darkness could probably never be described as soft, and yet that's what it felt like. It was a weightless caress against her body, a large hand cradling her in the dark. An angry growl sounded in her ear and faded into the rasping cough of a man. Duvaine shrank into herself, curling inwards and hugging her body tightly. It felt like forever, she would be trapped forever in the dark. The terror expanded until she was sure she was dead; in her dreams, death had been much more appealing.

A light flickered on the edge of her vision, a faint glowing lavender only barely discernible in the gloom. The light grew brighter and larger until the figure of a large tree illuminated the darkness. Her curiosity piqued, and yet so did her uncertainty.

The vast figure sat in a nook of rocks, its' roots splaying out across them in tangles and knots. It was the most beautiful thing Duvaine had ever seen.

"I'm sorry my love. I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry." A woman cried.

Duvaine gave a start and stilled in fear, she had been so captivated by the utter beauty of the tree; she hadn't noticed the figure curled up at the base of it until it spoke.

The woman's voice sounded defeated, pitiful, broken. "I tried to find him. I couldn't, _not in time_." The woman sniffled, then sat up suddenly whipping around as if she had heard something. "I must go now my love, before they find you. Before they find me and take our child."

The woman's face was shadowed by a large hood, and then her eyes flickered up to Duvaine's as if she had known she were there the entire time.

"Our children will find the Hero. _Find the Hero and break the curse_." Her intensely magenta eyes were the only thing visible beneath the cloth before Duvaine's entire vision faded into complete darkness once more. She hated herself for the trembles that took hold of her body, making her teeth chatter and her gut clench in fear.

Suddenly there was hard ground beneath her, and guttural growl bore into her ear. She let loose an earsplitting scream as she scrambled away from the beast, but stopped mid scramble when her eyes landed on its beauty. Stunning patterns decorated its' fur, deep gray and white fluttered across its' pelt to create wondrous designs. Although, it wasn't the fur that made her gasp.

The beast's eyes were simply beautiful. The electric blue irises bore into her; she couldn't tear her gaze away from them. It bared its' fangs, and growled deep in its' throat, yet she couldn't move. Her entire being was frozen in a state of astonishment; the malice was false, she could feel the beast's fear as if it were her own. For a long time, she stood looking at it, and it at her with equal measure.

Around its' front paw was a chain, and it growled when it followed her gaze to the offending shackle.

Murmuring soft words, she bent towards the chain; a small clasp keeping it around the beautiful creature's leg. The beast glared at her, teeth showing; and yet his fierceness didn't ruffle her as it should have. Those intelligent blue eyes bore into her, but the beast didn't do anything but growl and bare its teeth. Her hand came in contact with the cool metal, and she pried it open with a small sigh of relief.

"There you go." She whispered with a smile, the dog's face had turned from menacing to perplexed, as if a dog could feel that way. "Nobody deserves to be locked up."

A whimper of pain caught in her throat, her right arm was burning. She cradled it, trying to pull off her glove. It flared, voices began to hiss around her. The sobs didn't subside, wetness covered her face, anxiety burst from her chest.

Something warm nestled against her; she jerked to see the blue eyed beast. As suddenly as she felt his presence, the darkness sucked her away into its' deadly grip. The screaming became louder, the wolf howled in agony, and Duvaine trembled as she was flung into the depths.

With a silent but terrified jolt, Duvaine awoke. Her eyes spun around the room frantically trying to take in her surroundings. She was laying on the ground in front of the warmth of the fireplace again. The softness of multiple blankets cushioned her sore body, and for a moment she forgot about the nightmare.

Then the emotions assaulted her all at once. It was more painful than she had experienced in a very long time. It felt like her brain was being ripped in five different directions, her mind focusing on one before frantically skipping on to another. It was strange, they were a short distance away and yet the emotions struck her as if she were standing in a crowd of people. It was different, something was much different. Her senses felt heightened, her inner compass had expanded, had become more sensitive.

The memory of the black shard and the senseless cruel voices sent a shudder down her spine and the memory of her nightmare came rushing back. Her right arm tingled, as if she had fallen asleep laying on it.

The pale girl blinked for several minutes before she was able to wade through the multitude of anxiety and fear. The pain didn't subside in the slightest, and she couldn't help the silent tears that fell down the sides of her face. She was disgusted with herself, she wished she could be brave like Fovi and not the whimpering child she was. Her hands balled into fists tightly, and she realized that her right glove was still missing along with her hood and the bandanna that Fovi had given her, which she had realized was a thin scarf. For the first time since waking up, she lifted her head and immediately regretted the action.

Pain shot through her skull and the room spun, she lay back down with a groan. Her shoulder ached, but it was nothing compared to the wrath flowing through her head. She only noticed the voices in the room when they quieted, the silence more noticeable than the hum of hushed voices. At once, Duvaine focused on their words and their emotions, trying to gauge if she was in any danger.

"Is she awake?" A whisper finally asked after another moment of silence. Duvaine closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose.

"No... She's been writhing in pain for a while though." Came the quiet reply of a man. She recognized his voice, just as she had before.

"Shouldn't we do something?" The girl asked in a small voice, Duvaine recognized the girl's voice as well, but couldn't remember the name that went with it. The girl was full of concern and anxiety, deep down, Duvaine could sense a slight amount of resentment.

"Like what? I can't help her anymore than you can." He replied, though not unkindly. "I can't take her into the village, and Jaggle is still at the Spring with Malo every moment he can be. If she's seen, then somebody is going to turn her in."

Duvaine contemplated asking him why they _didn't_ turn her in, what did he care what happened to her?

There was a long silence, Duvaine held her breath for a terrified moment as the pair contemplated. The pain within her skull faded to a dull ache. The amount of information was becoming easier to manage as the minutes ticked by. The pair in the room were unknowingly making it easier for her, their emotions settled in her chest as though they were her own making it easy for her to focus on them and ignore all others.

There was a loud sigh. "If you don't want her to get caught, then you had better go see my father before he comes here himself." The girl huffed, Duvaine could feel the girl's unease and indignation. "I'll watch over her, for now."

"Thank you, I'll be back soon." Came the polite reply, light footsteps and the click of a door closing told Duvaine he had gone; and she could feel an emptiness in the atmosphere where it had just been occupied.

The girl stood still for another long moment. Duvaine curled into a ball as the girl padded closer to her on soft bare feet. She couldn't help but compare the quiet footsteps to Fovi, and found herself comforted for a short lived moment; then the girl's resentment hit her nose again.

Duvaine whimpered quietly and the girl halted in her tracks.

"Miss? Are you awake?" She asked softly, unsure. Duvaine couldn't help but realize that this girl was almost as scared as she was. It didn't make her feel much better.

Duvaine pinned the girl down with her ghostly white stare, she could tell the girl was unnerved and dropped her gaze shyly.

"Y-yes." She whispered, not knowing what else to say as she sat up slowly, wincing as the room spun again.

"How do you feel? Are you alright?" The girl asked, Duvaine took another brief glance at the girl's face. The young woman had soft green eyes with light blonde hair which framed her pointed face; Duvaine hated herself for feeling a pang of jealousy of her beauty, her color.

"My head hurts." Duvaine whispered, the girl leaned in to hear her words. "Where are my things?" Duvaine asked shyly, feeling intimidated by the girl.

The girl blinked in surprise. "Your glove and hood? Over there drying..." The girl looked at her feet. "I washed them for you, but I didn't think you would want me to change your clothes so I could wash those too."

Duvaine shook her head. No, she definitely would not have wanted that.

The girl sat awkwardly in one of the chairs beside Duvaine's makeshift bed. "What's your name?" The girl asked, "Where did you come from?" Her green eyes were larger than saucers. Another pang of resentment touched the girl's eyes, but she hid it well.

"You dislike me." Duvaine said, it wasn't a question and she didn't state it as one. The other girl's eyebrows shot upwards.

"What? I don't even know you-!" She started, but cut herself short; she probably realized the truth in her statement. Silence stretched on awkwardly for a moment.

"It's my fault the soldiers came to your village, I am deeply sorry." Duvaine whimpered, looking down at her gloved left hand and her bare right one. Silent tears began to fall down her face again, but she didn't bother wiping them away. "They hurt me too. I never meant for anyone else to get hurt." Her quiet apology turned into a sob, the girl look shocked. The resentment all but dissipated from the blonde's mind, but it didn't make Duvaine feel better. She deserved to be hated and feared, a colorless beast.

"I'm sorry!" The girl said, "I didn't know-"

"You have nothing to be sorry for miss. It's my fault, and mine alone. They're searching for..." She stopped, clamping her mouth shut but also wanting somebody to understand her predicament instead of disliking her. There was nobody she could trust, for all she knew, Link had gone to get soldiers.

"They're searching for runaways. We know." The girl watched her closely, Duvaine tried not to react but failed. The girl held a hand out, Duvaine looked at it with wide eyes for a moment. "I'm Ilia, welcome to Hyrule."

"Duvaine." She whispered, taking the girl's hand with her bare one. Never had Duvaine thought a simple handshake could be so painful.

With the contact of skin upon skin, something went wrong. The raw emotion that passed through Duvaine's body was excruciating, and all at once. The pain and power behind it shook her teeth and ripped her head practically in half. In just one moment, she could feel every emotion and feeling Ilia had ever experienced. The sensation was awful and left a coppery taste in her mouth. It felt like such an intrusion, although she had no power over it. Her head split as she ripped away with a small cry of pain.

Happiness, anger, terror, sadness, confusion, love, and everything in between. Never had Duvaine had something like this happen before, and it terrified her. A head splitting headache began to throb mercilessly.

Just as quickly as it had occurred, the pain disappeared when they released each others hands. The room came back into focus and Ilia's terror filled face filled her vision.

"Y-your eyes!" Ilia gasped, but fell silent. The girl looked a little green, "D-Did you feel that?" She swayed in her chair slightly, and Duvaine found herself doing the same, surprise filled her gaze at Ilia's words.

"You felt it too?" She asked incredulously. "What did you feel?"

The girl blinked. "Sorrow, hurt, pain!" She gasped, obviously not understanding just as much as Duvaine. Then her eyes widened. "Link said you touched the cursed shard in the basement."

Duvaine's blood ran cold. Cursed? What kind of curse? What had she done?

"Wh-wha-?" She asked, stomach curdling and growling with hunger all at once.

"Link can explain when he returns, for now... Sit... I'll get you something to eat." The girl kept looking back at Duvaine cautiously as she made her way into the cooking area. The pale girl sat on the floor dumbfounded, the aftermath of Ilia's life rippling through her like aftershock.

The empath's head hurt, her stomach growled, and she wanted to vomit; she didn't want to be rude by telling Ilia she couldn't eat if she wanted to. She didn't deserve food anyway after she had gotten Ordon village into so much trouble.

Duvaine was a girl of little words, and was surprised at herself for resenting the sudden silence that filled the quaint home. She took the moment to really look at it, more than she had only briefly before.

Ilia was standing in a small kitchen area. There was a pump for water, rags hanging on the wall, some food slew on the table. There was nothing separating it from the small sitting area. Duvaine was leaned against one of two soft chairs. They were covered in a dark green fabric and looked very old. The floors were made of wood that had been smoothed for bare feet and the walls were decorated with various items such as pictures and weapons. There was an old rusty sword on one wall and a very battered looking wooden shield with the head of a sheep painted upon it.

Ilia had finished arraying a small plate of food and saw what Duvaine was gazing at.

"That's Link's shield, it was Mi-" The girl paused, seeming to bite down on her tongue. "A friend helped him get it."

Duvaine didn't say anything, just gazed at the piece once more as Ilia sat in one of the chairs, eyeing it when it creaked.

"Why don't you have a seat? Link doesn't usually make his guests sit on the floor you know." The girl chuckled, and Duvaine cracked the faintest of smiles. Her pale hair fell down her shoulders in silky waves annoyingly.

"Tell me what happened." Duvaine requested quietly. "The whole story."

Ilia looked at her blankly. "About the shield...?" She asked.

"About the soldiers." Duvaine clarified.

The blonde girl sighed in relief, handing Duvaine the tray of food with a chuckle.

"The soldiers showed up a few days ago. They were looking for some fugitives that had apparently fled the country during the recent attacks. They're expected to be involved. The soldiers had a few big dogs with them... and they could apparently smell one they were looking for."

Duvaine shuddered, cursing herself for staying near the children for so long. Her scent had most definitely stuck to them, and the Bhit had detected it.

"Their leader threatened to..." Ilia faltered, rubbing her arm uncomfortably. "He told my father he would leave us alone unpunished if he and his men were allowed a few minutes alone with me..." Her tears of fright were clear, and Duvaine felt her own resentment pulsate, disgust rising in her gut.

"I'm sorry." Was all Duvaine could say. What else _could_ she say? "What happened then?"

Ilia smiled slightly, despite the circumstances of the conversation. "Link stepped in of course before my father could do something rash, I haven't seen either of them so angry in so long..." She shuddered, Duvaine could sense the girls love of the two men. "They threw a torch on our roof and left. We didn't notice the children had gone until after the fire was out. We could hear them screaming from here..." She glanced at Duvaine with uncertainty. "Jaggle saw you and thought you had hurt them. He thought you were one of their soldiers."

The girl looked uncomfortable again, and for some reason there was guilt coming from her as well.

"Why do you feel guilty?" Duvaine asked, "You weren't there."

Again, Ilia looked surprised by her perception, but didn't question it. "I believed Jaggle's claim until Link told me about the monster's remains and what the children were saying. Beth threw a fit when Link went into the forest after you. Jaggle won't hear a word of reason, he's just scared."

Duvaine's brow furrowed. "Do the children know I'm alright?"

Ilia shook her head. "Nobody knows you're here beside Link and I. He thought it would be best. The people in our village are wonderful people, but they would surely turn you in if they knew you were the one the soldiers were looking for."

Duvaine cocked her head. "Why don't you?" Her curiosity was real, why hadn't they just turned her in?

Ilia blinked, "Because I trust Link's judgment, and he's convinced something else is going on here."

"Something else?"

"They said they were looking for fugitives... but there are rumors―"

The door opened and both girls fell silent. Duvaine's blood had run cold, she wasn't sure whether to be pleased or annoyed by the interruption.

The blonde head of a man came in and closed the door. He didn't even look at his guests as he shut the door behind him and banged his head against it gently with a sigh. The girls looked at each other for a moment, he stood leaning against it without showing signs of moving.

Ilia cleared her throat and the man sighed again, turning his head enough to see her. His eyes widened when he saw Duvaine sitting in the chair beside Ilia, and he whipped around quickly.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" He came towards them, Duvaine held back the urge to move away from his oncoming form. "How are you feeling? Do you have any idea what that was in the basement? What were you thinking?" His voice turned stern and Duvaine went rigid, her entire hand trembling at the memory.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled, looking into his eyes for the first time. His eyes looked so familiar, it was uncanny, but she couldn't place them.

"What did my father want?" Ilia asked. Link didn't take his gaze away from Duvaine's face, he seemed to be searching for something, expecting something. He was filled with anticipation, and yet Duvaine had no idea why.

"He wants me to go to Princess Zelda and report what happened here. He is requesting soldiers to help defend the village if necessary." Link said, eyes finally breaking from Duvaine's expressionless face.

"Well? Are you?" She asked.

Link rolled his eyes, and Duvaine had to stifle a smirk. "Of course I am." He looked at Duvaine expectantly, and she felt an idea click into her brain.

"Where is the princess?" Duvaine asked quietly. Link smiled.

"In Castle Town, that's the capital of Hyrule." He told her.

"I-is it the largest city?" She asked.

Link nodded slightly, "Yes, I think so. Of humans yes, Zora's Domain is rather large though..."

Duvaine's eyes shined brightly, maybe... just maybe...

"Can you take me there?" She asked hopefully. Link's eyes widened, and he seemed to consider.

"I suppose." He eyed her knowingly, and she felt a shiver run up her spine from his gaze. "Why do you want to go there?"

Duvaine's heart began to pound, she struggled to find an answer that wouldn't sound suspicious.

"Because you're running from the soldiers?" He asked knowingly, she looked away, biting her lip.

"I just want to get away from here." She breathed, tears in her eyes.

"Why?" Ilia asked, Duvaine had almost forgotten the girl was there. The girl's eyes were bright with annoyance, directed at Link.

"I don't want to put your village in any more danger." She answered honestly, her tongue felt numb as the memories of the other village came to mind. The hot tears fell down her face before she could stop them. Link looked genuinely surprised by her sorrow, he didn't seem to know what to do.

Ilia on the other hand, was much like how Fovi would react. Ilia's hug came as a shock, Duvaine going rigid in the unfamiliar embrace. After a few moments of warmth, she relaxed in the girl's arms, being careful not to touch her with her right hand.

"Don't worry about us Duvaine. We'll be alright." She said, holding the pale girl at arms length. "Is there any other reason you want to go to the city?"

The question seemed strange to Duvaine, Ilia looked at her with suspicion, but it wasn't unkind.

Duvaine felt uneasy with the way they were looking at her, and then she realized they knew something she didn't.

"Are you looking for someone by any chance?" Ilia asked quietly.

"H-how did you―?"

"The rumors from Elohn say there was more than one runaway, which means you didn't come here alone." Link pointed out. "You want to find them don't you?"

Duvaine set her shoulders and shied away from the fear in the pit of her stomach.

"More than anything."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

It was the first time Duvaine had ridden Epona, and yet it felt like it had been the thousandth. The horse was extremely gentle, and it was quite obvious Link cared about the calm creature.

At first, all of Duvaine's courage had evaporated when Link mounted the horse behind her. She was glad he couldn't see her panicked expression, because he would've laughed at her. Fovi was the only one that was comfortable around her, and yet this man didn't flinch at her existence like the rest of the world.

He had changed before they left, and luckily hadn't seen the way her mouth popped open a bit. He chain mail covered be a green tunic and a long green hat. He was covered in pockets and there was a long shiny sword strapped to his back along with a shield. His transformation made him even more handsome than before, and warmed Duvaine's cheeks just thinking of it.

Her fingers tangled in Epona's gorgeous mane with care. Duvaine was careful not to pull any of the beautiful strands, admiring the color and the softness. She was jealous of Epona's pelt, she wished for the thousandth time that she wasn't so colorless and bland. Even this horse had more soul than she did. Her nerves were higher than they had been before, but it had nothing to do with Epona.

Link's presence was comforting and terrifying all at once. It was confusing for Duvaine to try and figure out Link's mind. First she had to get passed the fact that his arms encircled her body to hold the reins, and that she couldn't keep her back completely straight to allow space between them. Every few hours she would doze against her will, and find herself resting against him. Each time she jerked awake and straightened, only to be awakened again an hour later. He didn't ever say a word, which probably was worse than if he had.

The more she concentrated, the more she was convinced that the inside of his head was made up of two parts. The first part was the reasonable side, it dealt with the present and showcased the emotions that affected him in the moment. The other half was always in pain. It was like he had a cloud stuck over his head and it refused to leave. The more she dug, the more convinced she was that he had suffered a major loss. Of course she could only guess what it had been, the loss of a loved one, heartbreak, a deep depression. It could be anything.

His heart didn't seem to be all there, he only felt things with about half his capabilities. It pained her more deeply than she could've guessed it would. It wasn't just his hurt that pained her either, it was her own that tore her from the inside.

Even for all of her snooping on his innermost feelings, which she felt completely guilty about, she couldn't figure out why he was helping her. The blonde man seemed to be good by very nature, although Duvaine couldn't find a reasonable explanation of why he hadn't turned her in to the soldiers.

Link knew she was who Elohn soldiers were looking for, he knew it was her fault Malo had gotten hurt and Ilia's house had been set fire... And yet he had helped her?

She searched for an ulterior motive, and yet she could only come to one conclusion: He was going to turn her in, it was a trick.

With this thought was a terrible fear, Duvaine would never go back to Elohn willingly... And yet she was willing to sacrifice others safety for her own? The thought twisted her stomach and made her blood burn in shame. That's exactly what she had done, she was putting herself before others.

But then she thought of Fovi and the weight lifted slightly. Fovi was like a sister, a dear and loved friend who she would sacrifice everything for. Although, even Duvaine had a hard time justifying her selfish actions. She didn't realize that she was trembling in horror and guilt until Link's grip shifted and a small peak of worry wafted under Duvaine's nose.

"What's wrong?" He asked, looking around. Duvaine blinked, still fighting the shameful tears that plagued her. The trees passed by without a care in the world, she was jealous of them.

"N-nothing." She muttered with a shallow breath, he didn't buy it one bit but didn't say anything more.

They rode for a long time, Epona galloped farther and faster than any horse Duvaine had seen. A strange uncharacteristic urge to peel back her hood and goad the animal into a sprint took her. The air tasted like freedom, and yet also like guilt at the same time.

Link's shape so close to hers kept her uneasy, the only person who wasn't perturbed by her presence had always been Fovi and only Fovi. Link's unruffled and serene composure was perplexing. Why wasn't he bothered? He hadn't felt disgust by her appearance like all others in Elohn had, neither had Ilia. It was as if they didn't know what she was, what she was capable of, who she was. Wasn't her appearance enough evidence on its own? Colorless, dull, drab, pale, sickly. The list went on.

Epona's gait quickened slightly, jarring Duvaine. She gripped the horse's mane hard as she began to slip from the saddle. A firm hand gripped her around the waist and she gasped in surprise.

"There you go." Link huffed, pulling her up again easily. She couldn't even mutter a small thank you, her voice lodged in her throat. The hand hovered for a moment, ensuring she was secure before gripping the reins again.

Bizarre indeed. In Elohn, she was used to the segregation, the looks, the disgust. Link's kind nature was slightly unsettling and a breath of fresh air.

The blue sky turned orange as the sun began to set. Duvaine watched it with baited breath. Epona trecked up a small hill surely, a small clearing awaited them at the top, a break in the trees. She gasped in wonder when the entire beautiful sky came into view.

The horizon glowed with yellow light, the sun bathed in golden rays surround by orange fire. The clouds had turned a soft pink, the sky behind them turned dark and night approached. For Duvaine, it was the first sunset she had seen with freedom. It felt like an entirely different image from the ones she had seen from Elohn's pristine castle walls.

Link halted Epona finally, the chestnut horse stopped with a huff as if she wanted to keep galloping.

"We'll camp here for the night." His voice rumbled against her back, she hadn't realized how close they had become until he dismounted, leaving an empty cold space.

Instead of replying, she watched the sun as it disappeared beneath the horizon. Twilight fell over the land, and she couldn't help but notice the way Link grumbled under his breath about it.

"...hate...outside...this time..." She wasn't sure she had heard him correctly, although she wasn't going to ask.

For a long time she just sat in Epona's saddle, not noticing Link laying out two bed rolls and making a small fire. When he was finished, he glanced up at her with a furrowed brow.

"Why don't you get down?" He asked, Duvaine sat in silence. He cocked his head, amusement touching his eyes ever so slightly. The emotion was still marred by the rolling sea behind it. " _Can_ you get down?"

Duvaine's cheeks warmed, Epona whinnied beneath her. The horse didn't seem bothered by her weight, which was nothing for such a big horse. Duvaine wrapped her arms around herself and shook her head ever so slightly.

"Why didn't you say so?" The man asked, standing and approaching her. The pale woman only shrugged slightly, all of the guilt from before coming back. He huffed in laughter.

The girl wasn't expecting the sudden grip around her waist pulling her from the saddle. With a yelp of panic, she jerked and he lost his grip for a moment. It was enough for the surprised man to lose his balance and they both crashed to the earth in a bundle.

Duvaine was dizzy only for a moment, she blinked and leaped off of the bewildered man. "Sorry," He mumbled, getting up and brushing off the dust. "My fault."

Duvaine didn't say anything, she stood a few strides away awkwardly. He took in her rigid posture, and yet she couldn't understand the guilt that suddenly coursed through him.

He sighed and turned back towards the fire. "Why don't you come and sit down. I bet you're hungry."

He was right, Duvaine _was_ hungry. But she didn't want to take the man's food, hadn't she taken enough away already?

Link sent her another confused look, taking her fear to be his own fault. Duvaine forced her voice to crawl out if its' hibernation; she didn't want to offend this man who wanted to help her.

"Why do you feel guilty?" She asked, solemnly. His eyes widened in surprise, the bright blue orbs searching her. They were a gateway to his thoughts; slight suspicion ate at the back of his mind, but more than anything was the overpowering sorrow that lurked behind his gaze.

"Guilty? Why would I feel guilty?" He cocked an eyebrow, but she could see passed the lie. The look on her face must have shown it, he dropped the mask, revealing a vulnerable boy.

"Why do you hurt so much?" Duvaine asked quietly, the question surprised her more than it probably surprised him. His face contorted into one of defense, sourness took place of the guilt. Duvaine's breath caught in her throat, her heartbeat quickened, her palms became clammy.

As if hearing her heart start to race, his expression changed once again to apology. He scratched the back of his head uncomfortably.

"I'm that easy to read huh?" He lowered his gaze, staring intently into the fire. The sun had set completely by now, Duvaine tried to steady her uneven breathing. It was a long time before she finally shuffled her way into the firelight and sat down on the roll Link had laid out for her. It was a nice gesture, she was touched by the action even if it was insignificant to him.

She curled up, hugging her legs to her knees; it was almost a fetal position, but not quite. Link was watching her solemnly, his embarrassment was still present and a hard look in his eye that hadn't been there before.

It pained her again, the sadness that loomed around him was almost toxic. She thought it would help her guilt if she tried to help him get rid of it, but that was much easier said than done.

He jumped slightly in surprise when she cleared her throat. It was quite obvious he hadn't expected her to answer his question.

"You're not easy to read." She said quietly, he didn't seem to have trouble hearing her. "You're very good at hiding the pain."

He blinked, brow furrowing deeply. The suspicion was back, stronger than before.

"How do you know that?" He asked, there was no threat in his voice, but a calm demand.

She shuttered at his tone, waiting for him to snap at her, waiting for him to break. All of his anger and sadness was on the edge, it felt about to snap. Again, she didn't notice that she was trembling until he drew back slightly.

"Why do you feel guilty for scaring me?" She dared to ask, holding her breath in anticipation.

He looked at her as if she were insane; there was no explanation for why that hurt her.

"How do you know I do?" He asked haughtily, she blinked.

"I can feel it."

"You can _feel_ it?" He asked, "What do you mean?"

Duvaine only shrugged, her right hand itching in the glove again. "I've always been able to feel it, as long as I can remember." Her voice was quiet, and so was Link. Disbelief flashed through him, and also astonishment.

"What am I feeling now then?" He demanded, looking her in the eye.

"Disbelief, you don't think I'm telling the truth." She said sadly, not meeting his eye. The itch was slowly turning into an ache that was becoming harder and harder to ignore.

"How can you do that?" He asked in astonishment, Duvaine only shrugged.

"Why do you feel so sorrowful?" She pointed out once more, his eyes hardened again. It was like a veil had gone over him, closed off, detached.

"I'm not." He said, Duvaine blinked, raising a brow.

"You feel suspicious of me, although you lie to my face." She pointed out somberly, she had no idea where this courage had come from. It seemed she was becoming more comfortable with him every second. The realization was easily dashed by the ache in her hand.

He looked at her for a long time, she balled her hand into a fist. His eyes locked onto the movement, but he said nothing. They sat in silence for along time, gazing into the fire purposelessly.

"We'll search for your friends in Kakariko Village and Castle Town. There's a good chance they traveled through Kakariko if they were running like you." Link told her after a long while.

It was quiet for a long time, he kept stealing glances at her and she pretended not to notice. There was something he wanted to ask, she could feel his apprehension.

"There are rumors..." He began, Duvaine went still. "That the princess of Elohn escaped from the castle, her guards stole her away. Do you know anything about that?" He asked, seeming to already know the answer.

Duvaine didn't say anything, just squeezed her eyes shut tightly and hugged her legs tighter.

"They're also saying she had something to do with the attacks on the castle. Apparently a demon killed many soldiers, they think the princess was in league―"

"That's not true!" Duvaine gasped angrily, all of her fear suddenly gone. Link's eyes widened. "We were only trying to get away! The men tried to kill us!"

The man became silent, staring at her. Finally he sucked in a breath it seemed he had been holding.

"You're the princess." He breathed, Duvaine looked at him with wild eyes. Before she could try to rationalize anything, she was nodding her head. "I knew it..." He said, dumbfounded.

"Fovi has always taken care of me. I have to find her, but I have no idea where she could be." Duvaine whimpered, her hand beginning to ache more and more with each passing moment.

"How did you get separated?" Link asked, Duvaine ran a hand through the grass at her feet, it did nothing to relieve the pain.

"Fovi wasn't going to be able to get away, neither was Anoc. I lured the men away so they could." She trembled at the memories. The blood, the screams, the pain.

"You did that for your guards?" Link asked. Duvaine's chest prickled with guilt and so did indignation.

"I did it for Fovi." She clarified. "Fovi has always taken care of me. I wouldn't be remotely sane right now if it weren't for her. As for Anoc... Fovi loves him, therefor I must also protect him to the best of my abilities."

Link watched her with that blue eyed stare for a long time; Duvaine began to fidget under his stare.

"I think Elohn is lucky." He said, before she could question him he stood, glancing over his shoulder as he passed her curled form. Her heart stuttered in her chest, her hand burned in her glove.

"I'm going to go get some firewood... Try not to attract any trouble― Your Highness." He added lightly with a small huff of amusement. Duvaine didn't say a word as he stalked into the trees.

As soon as he was out of earshot she was pulling off her glove. Her heart rate began to increase again, her breath caught in her throat. Her right hand was a sickly black, starting in the center of her pale palm and spreading to her fingertips. A gasp of horror passed through her lips. It was a curse, and the poison was spreading.

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 **Reviews will get these chapters out quicker guys... Just so you know. :)**


	6. Journey

_**I probably should have edited one more time... So sorry for any minor mistakes. Shouldn't be too bad.**_

 **An Unexpected Journey**

* * *

 _Find the Hero and break the curse._

It was a constant thought, refusing to leave Duvaine's mind like that of a hungry buzzard. How could she possibly find the _Hero_ when she she couldn't even find her breakfast? How on earth had Uma known she would become cursed? What happened if it continued to spread? Every time the offending limb ached, despair itched within her throat. Not only that, she could feel the cursed thing drawn to Link and his energy. It was a terrifying fact she had stopped trying to deny: The curse yearned for human emotion, and Link was its closest victim. The horror of this did nothing to lessen her increasing paranoia, all she could do was keep her distance and ensure Link would be alright.

Sweat dripped down her face. They had been riding all day in the warm sun. The dense forest of Faron woods had disappeared far behind them. Now, grassy hills rolled around them as they trekked up and then down each dip of the earth. The open space made Duvaine feel exposed, fragile, and unprotected. Without the constant presence of the dense foliage and the protective solemnity of the huge trees, she felt as if there was a beacon on her head that read: **Here I am!**

Duvaine scolded herself for feeling so negative, it seemed Link knew what he was doing. Despite her heaviest insecurities when it came to strangers, she could feel deep within herself that he was trustworthy.

It was late in the afternoon when Link tugged Epona to a stop. The pale girl almost sang in relief, not sure if she could take one more moment of the dreaded heat. The world seemed to sway as Link hopped off the beautiful steed to assist her down too. Her right arm throbbed in a frenzy at Link's closeness. It craved his skin, wanted to sap the energy and life from his body. Her vision blurred for a moment before she pushed the ravenous hunger away, frightened by her own desires.

He asked for permission before he wrapped his hands around her waist and helped her to the grassy earth. Perspiration covered every inch of her frail body. He set her on her feet with a worried smile.

"Are you alright?" The blonde man's eyes were searching. She swayed, the world spinning around her, the heat and the curse was much to handle. "That's a no." He chuckled. "What's wrong?"

Duvaine couldn't even form words. Familiar arms caught her before she could collapse to the ground. More heat rushed into her cheeks as Link supported her there for a moment.

"I- I don't know..." She barely managed, her mouth dry and her head aching.

"You're overheating. You need to take that hood off." He scolded as he sat her down.

"No!" She gasped. "If anyone sees me―"

"There's nobody around for miles. Don't worry, you're safe with me." His smile filled her vision, stunning her into silence. The shy girl faintly wondered what Fovi would say about her being alone with this very handsome boy. More heat rushed into her cheeks because she knew _exactly_ what Fovi would say about it.

Sure fingers were pulling the black hood away from her head. Strands of hair stuck to her glistening neckline and her breath was hot against the scarf masking her face.

"I'm surprised you haven't had a heat stroke with all these layers on." Link mumbled to himself, his face was impossibly close to hers as he leaned towards her to untie the knot holding her scarf in place. Her eyes flickered dangerously across his features, a look of concerned concentration pinched his face. Those fierce blue eyes were entrancing, she knew she could look at them forever. When his beautiful irises flashed down to hers, she sheepishly looked away, suddenly finding a rock very interesting.

"There you go." He beamed, she could feel his gaze burning a hole in her head. Strands of white hair swished around her face gently, the wind tugging at them playfully. She couldn't help the sigh of relief as the sweet breeze kissed her warm skin. Why hadn't she taken those off earlier? "You can go down to the stream for a bit and have yourself a bath if you want."

Warmth flushed into her cheeks, but this time it wasn't because of the heat. Despite her embarrassment, it was a tempting offer. Before she could agree or decline, he was handing her a small towel.

"I'll stay here," He added sheepishly. "Don't wander far." He plunked down beside the bank, brandishing his sword. Duvaine couldn't help but eye the weapon, he didn't notice her unsteady gaze. He pulled a whetstone from within his many pockets and expertly began to sharpen the already-sharp blade.

The girl didn't say a word, only turned and followed the stream's path through the hills quietly and observantly. After a few short minutes of walking and scouring the area for danger, she found a small pool that looked deep enough for her to stand in. After quadruple checking that she couldn't see Link from her position, she peeled off her her dirty clothes.

Duvaine hadn't really realized how grimy she had become since her escape. Now, as she examined the dirt on her hands, she realized she was much overdue for a bath. She practically leaped into the stream, the water felt delicious against her skin. She scrubbed the grime away, not caring that she lacked soap. Using one of her socks, she rubbed all the dirt from her pale body. When she was finished scrubbing the filth, she hunkered down in the shallows and relaxed in the coolness of the stream.

Afraid that Link would come looking for her, Duvaine finally exited her small oasis. Her clothes were as filthy as she had been. Looking around to make sure Link was still nowhere in sight (not that she thought he was a pervert), she scrubbed her black clothing deftly in the stream. When she put them back on, they were still wet and nice and cool. A relieved sigh escaped her chest as the dampness chased the heat away and the breeze cooled her skin.

She squeezed the excess water from her pale locks and managed to tie the unruly strands in a knot on the top of her head. Shaky fingers pushed loose strands of white hair behind her pointed ears.

She picked up her gloves, her attention suddenly lingering on her distorted hand.

It had only been a day, and yet the blackness had spread a bit farther. Her skin looked sickly, black, inked, demonic. It reminded her of the experiments that had been done beneath the castle, the same inky blackness that filled a Bhit's eyes with fury. The limb ached feebly, prickling even more so as she gazed upon it.

 _How could the Hero cure this?_ She wondered in dismay.

With a small squeak, she pulled her gloves back on, effectively hiding the monstrosity from intruding eyes. The walk back to where Link sat took longer than it should have, she was enjoying the breeze and the sounds of nature around her. It was all she could do to keep the diseased limb from her mind. He was exactly where she had left him. His gaze lit into a smile when he saw her. His eyes looked over her approvingly, not aware of the unease the look caused.

"Better?" He hummed, she nodded meekly. "Good. We'll rest here for a bit. Give Epona a chance to relax and drink." He eyed her face sharply, she barely caught the look before it disappeared.

He went back to sharpening his weapon, albeit with much more turmoil; Duvaine's pale eyes followed him wearily. After a few moments of listening to the rythmic swipes of the whetstone, Duvaine melted into the tall grass. Her feet were bare against the open earth, something she never would've been allowed back in Elohn. Laying down and relaxing was foreign to her, something that a young woman of only seventeen shouldn't have to deal with.

Her laundry was a forgotten pile beside her as she stretched out further in the grass. Her spine arched and she couldn't help but let loose a small sigh. She hadn't felt so free in her entire life.

A chuckle pulled her out of her bliss. A pale white gaze found itself lost in an electric blue one. The corners of Link's mouth was pulled up slightly, whatever had been bothering him had disappeared.

"I bet it feels good to relax." Link chuckled, finally dropping the whetstone.

Guilt suddenly swept through her, it was completely her own. How could she relax when Fovi was out there? She didn't know where Fovi was or if she was even alive. What if Elohn soldiers had found her like they had almost found Duvaine? Her heartbeat escalated until it was pounding on the inside of her skull.

"What's wrong?" Link asked, dropping his sword and scooting closer to her. Duvaine sat up sharply, but didn't move away as she avoided his gaze. It was strange that he could pick up on her emotions almost as easily as she could his. Her heartbeat gave her away, although it was impossible for Link to hear it.

"I was thinking about Fovi." She finally lamented, her voice breaking. "What's if she's dead―?" The sentence turned into a cry of pain as the tears blurred her vision. Fovi was strong, had always been strong. Fovi seldom cried, and when she did there was a good reason. But Duvaine... Duvaine was a simpering child that could not control her tears. The court had always mocked her for it, even more so when she never grew from the childish tendency.

She stilled when a warm hand rested on her shoulder lightly. The surprise seemed to dispel her pathetic keening; Link's concern orbited the air around her.

"You don't know that." Link told her softly. "If she is alive, we'll find her. Don't worry."

Duvaine dared a glance at him, not daring to move away from the comforting touch. Link squeezed her shoulder slightly before pulling away and finding his weapon again.

Duvaine didn't know what to say, or how to say it. He was so comfortable with that small touch, there was no disgust or malice in the gesture. Since she could remember, people were angered and aghast by her very existence. And yet, here was Link, comforting her with a small pat on the shoulder that meant much more than he could ever realize. Something unfamiliar in her stomach was fluttering, a feeling she had never experienced before.

"What are you thinking about?" Link asked, she jumped at the question, cheeks warming. His piercing gaze seemed to see the truth, she imagined, she felt as if she had swallowed a rock.

"Elohn." She stated the first thing that came to mind. "I left behind so many unanswered question." She added quickly.

"Do you have any idea who was responsible for the attack?" His voice sounded angry, the wind began to pick up around them.

"There are too many that would." She admitted sadly, feeling his gaze upon her as the sun gazes on the earth.

"Does your kingdom have many enemies?" He asked gently, laying his sword in the grass again. "Anyone that comes to mind?"

Duvaine cocked her head, thinking. "We've all been taught from childhood that Hyrule is an evil kingdom that wishes to seize all of Elohn's resources." The amount of anger that hit her chest was heart stopping, she couldn't stop herself from scrambling away from Link for fear that he would lash out. "It isn't of course, that's what they feed the public to make them submissive." She gasped, eyes wild as she shrunk away. Link's face hadn't given anything away, but she could still feel his anger simmering.

"What kind of rulers do you have?" He demanded, probably sounding much harsher than he intended.

"Th-the King has always been an absolute monarch." She informed him. "For years, that's how it's been. By telling th-the citizens that their neighbor is an imminent threat, it makes them reliable on the army and the King. It's always been that way. Until..." She stopped, biting her tongue.

"Until what?" Link blurted, eyes wide.

"Until the Queen died in child labor with the King's only child." Duvaine whispered, trying to keep her tears at bay again.

"So, what?" He mused, "They can't crown a woman as Queen...?"

It must have been the look on Duvaine's face that gave him his answer.

"You're serious?" He demanded, more of his anger bubbling to the surface. Duvaine flinched away from it, faintly curious as to why he cared so much about her country's follies. "They won't crown a Queen because they don't want a woman to rule?"

Duvaine nodded weakly, not sure if she could risk speaking about the subject for much longer for fear Link would guess the truth.

"Men have always been the ruling figures in our society." Duvaine stated. "My father―" She stopped, knowing she couldn't go down that road. "―was not the most loving."

Link didn't say anything, but she could feel his sympathy. "I'm sorry. It's not like that here, I promise you don't have to feel intimidated by me."

Duvaine smiled weakly, "It's alright, I'm intimidated by everyone."

His eyes turned hard, more anger and irritation filling the atmosphere around him. Duvaine looked away from him, angry with herself.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you." She mumbled quietly. "It was not my intention."

Two hands gripped the tops of her arms gently and firmly. She gasped in surprise, eyes flying up to Link's before diving back down to the grass. She didn't dare to pull away, afraid it would make him angry. His face was impossibly close to hers, she squeezed her eyes shut tightly to avoid his gaze.

"Duvaine, look at me." She did as she was told, opening her eyes slowly until she was looking into his face. "Don't do as I say!" He scolded with a huff, her eyes dropped to the ground again.

He sighed heavily, his hands tightening slightly on her shoulders. Piercing throbs reverberated down her right arm, she did her best to ignore it.

"Men and women are equals here." He told her with a smile covering his tanned face. "You don't need to be submissive to everybody. You're your own person, so don't let anybody from your past hold you down anymore."

"Don't let anyone hold me down?" She echoed quietly. Maybe he was right, but the thought of speaking up when she felt the need to was terrifying. Fovi had always been the independent one while Duvaine, despite her faults, had been the quiet obedient one. They were two kinds of people both trying to escape their twisted society.

"Yeah!" Link's deep voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Just be you! You shouldn't take orders from anybody based on gender."

"Equals?"

He huffed a laugh as he released her and stood. "We'll keep working on it. For now, we need to get back on the road."

"Anoc was injured during our escape." Duvaine told him dazedly as she got to her feet. "Do you think the Shaman could've helped him?"

Could she dare hope?

"It's possible. We'll find out when we get there." Link smiled before offering her a hand.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"The oldest families in Elohn are the ones that provide advisers to the King?" Link asked, he was very curious about Elohnian society.

"Correct." Duvaine replied. The sun was well under the horizon. The plains had turned to orange dust and tall cliffs. She felt claustrophobic beneath them. The wind had picked up even more since their stop, bringing with a dark array of clouds. They both knew it would storm, but neither said anything out loud.

"And they are the ones that have been challenging the crowning of a Queen for years?" He clarified.

"Correct."

"So why didn't the King get remarried and have another child, or just marry you off to somebody who was _fit_ to be King?" Link sneered at the word. It perplexed Duvaine how angry he was about it even though it had never really affected him.

"Well, he has been sickly for years now. They say he became ill from heartache, he's refused to take another wife. And even though men rule almost all aspects of women's lives, it is still frowned upon when a woman does not accept a marriage contract."

Link was quiet for a moment. "So he tried to marry you off?"

"And tried and tried and tried." Duvaine smiled, Link's chuckle rumbled against her back. For some reason, smugness was leaking off of him.

Before he could ask another question, the cliffs opened up around them. She could spot the lights of a village ahead, a faint glow that became increasingly larger the closer they became. Duvaine was still having troubles understanding the way the biomes in Hyrule worked. In Elohn, there was only trees, sun, and rain. She had never heard of a desert within Elohn borders, neither had she heard of snow. How it could all exist within one kingdom was marvelous, yet another thing she envied of Hyrule.

"We're almost there." Link stopped the horse, Duvaine quirked a brow in confusion.

"Why are we stopping?" She asked quietly, worriedly.

"I don't want Epona to attract attention if we ride into town." He pulled some clothing from his bag. "And you need to put this back on."

It was her own hood and scarf that landed in her fingers. She pulled the black fabric over her head without complaint. The cool night air didn't linger over her any longer, and she felt more secure. Link helped her tie the small scarf around her face and then she was stumbling behind him in the darkness.

The more they walked, the more emotions flitted through Duvaine's chest.

She estimated around one hundred people. The force of their different auras threw her off balance with each new addition. Pain coursed through her skull, she floundered in its' depths before finding a foothold in reality again. That's when she bumped into Link's back, hard. An arm twisted around her shoulders, stopping her from falling.

Her breathing was ragged and her heart was pounding in her throat. She focused on the concern radiating from Link. She latched onto that one emotion and did not let go. His emotions swirled around her like a familiar comforting cushion that she gracelessly fell back on, like an anchor.

"Are you alright?" He asked uncertainly.

"Yes." She breathed, blinking as his face came back into focus. "There's just a lot to take in."

His eyes softened. "Because of the empathy?"

She nodded, trying to get lost in the ocean that was his eyes. After a few moments of awkward silence, she thawed from her rigidness and forced herself to stand by herself.

"Ready?" He asked, resting a hand loosely on the hilt of a dagger sticking from his belt.

"Yes." She breathed. He hesitated for only a moment before pulling her tentatively forward again.

Even in the dark she could see that most of the village's buildings had recently been rebuilt. Some were freshly painted, others were still under construction, one building at the end of the road was only halfway finished. Dust covered everything, every nook and every cranny visible. It only took Duvaine a moment to make out where Link was headed. There was a large building on the right hand side of the road, it was three stories high and looked to be busy. Link led her directly to it, light and laughter spilled from the open doorway. The clouds began to roll in overhead; just as large droplets began to fall on them, they bustled inside.

Duvaine focused on Link's anticipation, trying to block everything else out. She could tell how busy the building was before they even entered. There were a lot of men, Duvaine could've been able to tell by their smell alone. Men were laughing, singing, and being idiots all around her. She wrinkled her nose and found herself sliding closer to Link's form, almost touching him, but not quite.

"Link! How are you? It's been too long!" A deep rumbling voice made itself heard over the rabble, she faintly noticed a few gazes turn towards them. A shiver traveled down her spine as she ducked behind Link, hiding herself from anybody's view.

"Renado." Link smiled and clapped the huge man on the shoulder. "Is there a place we can talk?"

The man seemed to catch on to Link's solemnity. With a nod, he turned and led the pair up a newly built staircase. The walls seemed to close in on Duvaine as her uneasiness grew, even as the sounds of the busy bar quieted behind them. She counted one, two, three doors to the one Renado led them into. It was small, cozy, and had two comfortable looking beds. There was a window on one wall, the rest of the room decorated with colorful beads and paintings that gave the room character.

"You can have the room for the night. Free of charge. Who's your friend here?" The man turned towards them after ushering them inside and closing the door. Duvaine could only describe him as a hulking man. His broad shoulders filled half the room, his long black hair reached halfway down his back, and his square features gave him a rugged appearance. His warm eyes gave away his calm nature, they read of only gentleness.

Despite this, Duvaine still became rigid under his scrutiny. He was only curious, she couldn't detect any malice in him.

"I met her on the trail." Link began, Duvaine held her breath and bit her lip. "I'm trying to help her find her companions, she seems to have lost them."

Renado's eyes sparked with recognition. Duvaine yelped when he took a small uncertain step towards her, his eyes filling with excitement.

"You're Duvaine aren't you?" He asked, her heart skipped a few beats then restarted itself.

"You know her―?" Link asked, moving slightly closer to Duvaine protectively. "How?"

"Her friends were here." Renado told her with a brightness in his eyes. "I stitched up Anoc before they were on their way."

Duvaine's heart soared as relief washed through her. _They were alive._ Her knees wobbled beneath her slightly, threatening to give out. The relief was absolutely overwhelming.

Somehow, she managed to find her voice. "Were they alright? Did they tell you what happened?"

To her disappointment, the man shook his head. "No, but the girl asked me to keep an eye out for you. She was very worried about you." His eyes crinkled into a smile. "I'm not sure where they were headed, they left before I could even blink."

Duvaine was almost shaking with relief. _They were alive!_

"Thank you." Duvaine smiled up at him, and he returned it wholeheartedly.

"You're welcome. Now I must go find Luda. If you need anything Link, don't hesitate to ask." Renado offered before taking his leave.

Duvaine plopped down on one of the beds, she could hardly contain her happiness.

"They're alive." She breathed, her heart swelling. "Fovi is alive!"

The tears that flowed down her cheeks were tears of joy. Going the last few weeks without knowing what had happened to them had been hard. Now it felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"That's great news." Link smiled at her and sat down on the bed across from her. "I'd bet four Ordon sheep they went to Castle Town."

Duvaine couldn't help the uncharacteristic grin that spread across her face.

"I hope so. How long will it take us to reach it?" She demanded, bouncing like a child.

"A few days at the most." He informed her. A low rumble filled the room, Link chuckled when she stiffened. "That was my stomach... I'm going to go get us something to eat. Would you like anything?"

"Yes please." She answered sheepishly, trying and failing to keep the smile away.

"I'll be back soon." He told her, stretching as he stood. Before she knew it, she was left all alone in the dim little room. She considered laying down, but knew she couldn't possibly sleep knowing Fovi was alive and well.

Duvaine itched to get back outside and start walking again. Something she hadn't thought she would ever want to do several days ago. Her internal compass did its best to shy away from the multitude of senses it was trying to process. She had been away from the business of Elohn Castle for too long, she had to adjust to the crowd once again. It was a hum in the background, but with her distraction gone it was difficult to ignore. She did her best to do so anyway.

It was this fact that stopped her from noticing that something wasn't right.

Not until the door flew open with a bang did she finally register the determination and fear within a certain group of men. With a squeal of terror, she was standing on the bed, backing up to the window cautiously. All she could think of was Link. Where was he? Was he alright? Did they hurt him?

The four men stomped into her room with their weapons drawn. The one in charge held up his weapon, pointing it towards her angrily. She recognized the unmarked armor, the savage brutality of the man's club, stained with blood.

"Come quietly demon, and we won't hurt you much." He told her through his teeth, she could smell the fear on him. He was trying to hard to suppress it, but he was only human.

Before Duvaine could utter a cry, there was a low yell and a loud crash. Link came hurtling back into the room, taking one of the soldiers down with him. The scrambled on the floor for a moment, she was sure her heart would thump out of her chest. She was choking on the emotions that filled the room, but mostly her own heart stopping horror.

There wasn't even time for her to utter a cry when the man with the club lunged at her. She gasped in pain as he ripped her hood away from her head to grip her harshly by the hair. Link landed a few well aimed blows before the other three men overpowered him and slammed him up against the wall.

"No!" Duvaine gasped sharply, terror filled sobs filling her chest. "Leave him alone! He has nothing to do with this―"

"Shut up bitch!" The man bellowed, Link struggled, spitting a curse.

Duvaine felt the first sob when a fist landed in Link's gut. Another made its mark across his face, blood welled from his lip and then his nose. He spit the offending liquid into the man's face with a low growl. Duvaine bucked, and twisted from her captor's grip, finding freedom for only a moment.

Seeing Link being beaten because of her, gave her the courage she had always seemed to lack. As the man that was providing the punches pulled back for another, Duvaine latched onto his arm.

"Get away from him!" She shrieked in anger, her eyes crackling with fire. The man simply shook her off and backhanded her across the face. The force of the blow knocked her to the ground, she gasped in pain as her head split into a headache.

"Duvaine!" Link growled, managing to elbow one of the men in the gut before he regained his hold. She could hear Link struggling, and she could hear the breath leave him as they hurt him again. Her anger was volatile, her control very thin. A terrible prickling sensation started in her hand, and seemed to flare up her arm.

She could feel her lip bleeding, her eye swelling sharply. She struggled to her knees, a large unforgiving hand latched around her wrist. "Come here you little monster." The man hissed as he pulled her roughly to her feet. He only managed to seal his fate.

Her glove came off, the discoloration throbbed through her body. The man took an uncertain step back as she let Link's anger wash over herself. With an angry yell of her own, she lunged.

The man screamed in horror when she touched the bare skin of his face. The men holding Link all froze in horror as their gazes snapped to the sound. Link's head lulled, eyes barely open. Duvaine could feel the man's emotions, just as she had felt Ilia's. But it was different, she didn't pull away and she didn't try to shut them out. The darkness in her hand absorbed every single feeling, every one the horrible man had ever felt. It was only a matter of seconds before his gaze became blank, his scream of pain ceased, and his hulking form fell limply to ground.

Duvaine scrambled away from the body, he wasn't dead, but he most certainly wasn't alive either.

"Demon." One of the men hissed, before drawing his sword. Duvaine scrambled away sharply as the metal came closer and closer. There was a noise behind him, a growl of pain and another crash. Link was up, his fists connecting over and over with the man's nose.

A small piece of fabric touched Duvaine's hand, she recognized her glove and pulled it on frantically. The darkness had spread, she could feel it's tendrils snaking towards her shoulder. Somebody was sobbing, it took her a moment to realize it was her.

There were still too many, they were going to overpower Link again. Finding the strength within herself, she reached out with her gift. Within a matter of moments, one of the remaining three was writhing on the floor in pain. It hurt her to do so, but she could picture them hurting Link moments ago; it was unforgivable.

Heavy breathing filled the room, Link unsheathed his sword. Thunder boomed outside and Link attacked. Duvaine could do no more, he was on his own now. She watched him fight the remaining men, attacking with the grace of a dancer. Each swipe of the sword sure and striking its mark. When the deadly dance finally came to a halt, Link stood over her with his chest heaving.

"Are you alright?" He huffed between breaths.

How could she be alright? But she gave a small nod instead. There was shout downstairs, more people coming to investigate. Shaky, but strong, arms lifted her up. Link's eyes were wild with excitement and fury. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled, as the sobs began to wrack her body again. "So sorry."

"We need to get out of here." He whispered urgently, striding forward. "Hold onto me."

She did just that. There was a shattering all around them, a whoosh and a hard impact. They sprawled across the dirt, Duvaine landing in soft mud. Link limped to his feet and pulled her up again, whistling with something around his neck. Duvaine didn't question it as Epona appeared. The last thing she remembered was being shoved into Epona's saddle and a comforting presence caressing her.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 **Fwew! I'm so sorry this took so long! I had major writer's block, let me tell you. Anyway, leave your thoughts if you like. I am not promising quicker updates due to reviews anymore. (Because life gets in the way of my promises then I feel like a jackass...) But enough said, Thank you for reading!**

 **See you later!**


	7. Warning

**Warning**

 _I'm here! I'm here Duvaine, calm down! Everything is going to be alright! Focus on my voice!_ Fovi gripped her shoulder's tightly and shook her. Her teeth rattled as her eyes opened painfully.

 _Duvaine! Duva_ ―

"―ine! Duvaine! Wake up! You're alright! Duvaine, wake up!" The memory faded as a handsome face swam in front of her, Link's features slowly coming into focus. She blinked in confusion, his face melting in relief. "Thank Farore! Are you alright?"

Her head was throbbing, it felt like somebody was battering a shield inside of her skull. She squinted in pain, a sting pulsing along her right brow. Memories of what happened weren't too difficult to recall. A mixture of horror and pain coursed through her veins, so naturally she replied:

"Fine."

Light fingertips, soft worrying hands, grazed the wound on her face; in response, her heartbeat began to quicken. Link hovered over her with concern and fury; black and blue bruises were already blossoming along his jaw and decorating his cheekbone. With a gasp, she pulled away from him; his eyes widened in surprise, mouth agape.

"Duvaine what's wrong?" Link demanded, she could tell it was difficult for him to keep his tone soft. He moved closer, but gave pause when she squeaked in response. "Duvaine, I'm not going to hurt you." The trouble in his eyes was plain to see, shocking her from her fear for a moment.

Hurt _her._ That was almost laughable.

"N-no. I-I don't want to h-hurt _you_." She stammered in fright, voice barely above a whisper. The memory of what she had done to that man made her want to vomit; her stomach's contents were threatening to make an appearance as she thought of it. The thought of doing the same thing to Link, even if by accident, made her throat constrict and her chest ache with torment.

Link's eyes softened as he came closer anyway, despite her squeaks of alarm. Her bottom lip trembled as a reassuring hand reached out to touch the wound on her face again. When she didn't pull away, he sat closer beside her with the same caution, as if not to frighten her.

"I'll be fine." He finally said with a smile, the anxiety almost completely disappearing from him. "Let's get you cleaned up."

Duvaine couldn't find the will to protest, her own disgust with herself was too overpowering. She sat in silence as Link dabbed at the blood on her face. Her eyes wandered to their surroundings, trying to comprehend where they were.

They were hunkered down in a sea of grass, the long stalks rising taller than her in some areas. The sky was still muddy, lightly drizzling down on them; the mist in the distance obscured anything that could be hiding on the horizon. Her pale irises skipped over the landscape, desperately trying to recognize something, to get some kind of clue that she knew where they were. The more she focused on the horizon before her, the more she could _sense_ something there. With a frantic gasp, she realized with dismay exactly what it was. The curse spreading through her arm began to tingle, the feeling bleeding up into her chest dangerously. Duvaine didn't have to look to know that it's blackened tendrils were slowly crawling their way across her skin.

Link distracted her from her fearful stupor, the wetness of the cloth felt nice on her burning face. But the longer she looked at him, the lower her brow sunk in dismay. Guilt clawed at her chest from the inside out the longer she gazed at the bruises and scrapes on Link's tanned skin.

"It's alright." Link murmured, as if hearing her erratic heartbeat. "You're safe with me." He smiled a small smile, mistaking her guilt for self preservation.

"But you're not safe with me." Her voice broke on the last syllable, tears beginning to well in her eyes. Link only paused for a second, then his movements continued over her blood crusted brow. She honed in on his emotions, the anger was definitely still there, but the loss and sadness seemed muted. Instead, it was replaced by guilt and a fury she hadn't sensed from him before.

"We're both safe out here." He assured quietly. His eyes glinted with raw anger as he wiped the dried blood from her face. She couldn't hold his gaze without heat rising into her cheeks.

"You're hurt Link." She whispered. Obviously.

He huffed out a laugh. "Trust me. I've had worse." There was a twinge of sadness in his statement, of bitterness that she couldn't understand. She didn't dare to ask. It was quiet for several long moments, his voice suddenly startling her.

"I'm sorry I let them hurt you." He growled with that same raw anger.

Her voice was extremely soft and shrill compared to his. "It's not your fault."

His eyes flashed, but this time she forced herself not to look away. "It _is_ my fault." He growled. "I should've seen them, I should've sensed them. But I didn't."

"Stop it." She scolded quietly, surprised by her own anger. "You're not at fault for anything that's happened to me. I've brought it all on myself. I am responsible for this."

"You were oppressed in Elohn, and now they're hunting you for trying to escape their segregation. It's not your fault you were born there. Nobody can control where they are born, or who they are born to." His eyes suddenly held hurt that leaked into her own chest, aching bitterly.

Another silent moment stretched on, Duvaine daring to find her voice. "Are you still talking about me?"

He looked startled, he rocked back on his knees and looked over her. His piercing blue gaze was tight, but he didn't utter a word. He doused the cloth with water and squeezed it out, her blood leaking into the grass.

"Maybe." He finally relented. She was surprised he had answered, and wasn't going to query anymore. Instead, she completely lost her voice as he peeled off his chain mail and tunic. The smell of fresh blood hit her nose, but she was sure it wasn't her own this time.

His torso was well muscled, well toned. Something inside her seemed to tremble at the sight. What really caught her attention were the scars criss-crossing his body. The white lines decorated him, some not even lines, some bulges, some burns. It was a sight to see, and she couldn't help but feel her own twinge of displeasure at the abuse he had endured. Not to mention, the fresh bruises that were surfacing across his stomach.

Thank Din he didn't notice her stunned features before he turned away; she caught a glimpse of blood dripping down his back. A distressed noise passed through her lips before she could stop it. Link whipped his head around, looking for an enemy that wasn't there; it was something she noticed he often did.

"What is it?" He gripped the hilt of his sword, knuckles turning white around it; he was still oblivious to her staring.

"Your bleeding!" She cried in trepidation, crawling toward him with a mixture of self loathing and anger.

Link's shoulders visibly relaxed, but Duvaine was too focused on the blood to pay any attention.

"Oh Farore! What have I done!" She wailed, her gloved hands began to tremble as the tears began to leak out. The cut was just below his shoulder blade, covered in blood. So much blood! Eyes wide with fright, she didn't resist when he turned around and gripped her trembling wrists lightly.

"Duvaine." He said calmly, she continued to shake. "Duvaine." He said again, finally earning her attention. "I'm fine, it looks much worse than it is. Look at me." Her tears blurred his handsome bruised face, but she didn't need to see his expression to know what he was feeling. And even though he said it, it didn't seem believable to her. The amount of blood was astounding, it covered his back, how could he be _alright_?

Guilt washed over her. This was her fault, she had caused this no matter what he tried to say.

Gentle hands shook her, jostling her out of her tumultuous emotions. "Duvaine! I'm fine! It's just a small scratch."

She watched him fumble with the towel for a moment, attempting to reach the source of blood flow. After a few moments of watching him struggle to wipe the blood away, she took the cloth from his hands with trembling fingers.

"I'll do it." She murmured, more strength in her voice than she knew she had.

 _I caused it._ She added to herself bitterly. _I'm going to get him killed._

He tried to hide his relief, but she could still sense it as she slowly began to wipe the blood away from his warm skin. Her heart beat a little quicker as she felt the rolling muscles beneath her fingers. The more blood she washed away the more calm she became, realizing he was right. It still did not excuse the fact that she was the one that had gotten him hurt.

"When did this happen?" She coaxed, not remembering it during the scuffle.

"Downstairs. He wouldn't let me through and pulled a knife on me. He would've had my throat if I hadn't―" He cleared his throat, Duvaine swallowed her guilt. "Anyway, I knew they were coming for you so I bolted upstairs."

There was a lump in her throat that she couldn't escape, more tears threatening to break free.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, he didn't say anything; she was hoping he wouldn't.

"I have to ask... What happened in there?" He inquired, he glanced back at her with curiosity. Her hands stilled over him for a moment before continuing their motions.

The blood was almost gone, she moved the cloth to his lower back where the blood had dripped and dried in angry streaks. He shivered against her fingers, but she hardly noticed.

"I―I'm not entirely sure." She stammered.

 _Liar._ Her conscious accused. She bit her lip, trying to ignore the burning shame.

"He was screaming... and then he was just... gone." Link recalled, she was glad he couldn't see her expression.

"It's a curse." She had to heave the words out, they felt like stones in her stomach.

Link glanced over his shoulder at her. She stopped what she was doing, his blue eyes taking her breath away and making her heart beat faster.

"A curse?" He demanded, eyes widening with horror. "It's because you touched the shard isn't it?" She didn't respond, and before she could blink he was facing her. "Show me."

"N-no! If you t-touch it you'll―you'll―" The thought of Link being affected by the ravaging curse sent a shudder down her spine. "I don't want to hurt you Link!" She finally relented, backing away from him. He matched two of her steps with one of his own, he towered over her. Looking like a God as he came towards her shirtless and covered in blood.

"Duvaine, show me. Let me see it." He demanded, something in his voice gave her pause.

"Don't touch it _please_." She gasped as he took her gloved hand in his own, peeling the cloth away with caution. "I don't know what it is... or _why_. All I know is, if anybody touches it I can feel every emotion they've ever felt."

Link's eyes widened in shock as the rest of the glove was peeled away to reveal the ebony blackness of her tainted skin. "Every emotion?" He asked quietly, pulling her sleeve up slightly.

"Yes... it's like feeling their entire life flash by in a few short moments. It _hurts_. And I'm pretty sure they can feel mine too." She admitted, her mouth dry. "It happened with Ilia―"

"What?!" He demanded in horror, her heart sank in panic.

"Nothing happened to her!" Duvaine promised, "I wasn't trying to― to― stop her from killing me." The words tasted like sawdust. "I knew what I was doing when I attacked that man."

"You did what you had to." He shot back, letting her sleeve go. "I should've gotten rid of that damn shard when I had the chance. I can't believe it would do something like _this._ "

"It's not your fault." She managed, he didn't argue like she expected. Instead he gripped the blood stained cloth and pressed it against the wound on his shoulder as best he could.

"We'll be in Castle Town by tomorrow morning. We should rest here and get going early." He told her, gaze flickering across the horizon. His eyes softened when they landed on her again. "Let's get some rest. I'm not letting you out of my sight again."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Duvaine couldn't sleep, it wasn't nighttime but it may as well have been. The clouds inked out any of the sun's light, leaving the landscape dim and dark. Link lay their blankets beside one another, she lay down but couldn't find sleep. Partly because he hadn't put his shirt back on quite yet.

Even so, the shirtless boy wasn't the only reason she couldn't sleep. Duvaine couldn't stop blaming herself for what had happened. Link had gotten hurt for helping her; it was something she should've expected and it was selfish to stay with him. They had only known each other for a short time; he had nothing to show for it but injuries. He had given her help and kindness when nobody else would've. For once, she had created a friendship, a bond, with somebody that was worth protecting.

The thought of wandering out into the wilderness by herself again made her blanch, but at least she knew she wouldn't get lost this time. Castle Town was close enough that she could practically smell it, and there couldn't be any Bhit's near enough to incapacitate her again. All she needed to do was find Fovi and find the Hero, Link didn't need to risk himself for her anymore.

She wrestled with her thoughts for hours as Link slept, contemplating what she should do. More than anything, she didn't want anybody else to be hurt because of her.

It was this basis of thought that led her to her final decision.

After ensuring that Link was asleep, she rose from her roll and fished out a pencil and paper from Epona's bottomless saddlebag. Writing the note was much more painful than she had anticipated, because deep down she truly did not want to leave Link behind. It pained her to do so, every movement sent an ache through her chest and a protest to rise into her mind. She pushed them all away, her mind was made up. Leaving the note beside him, she turned towards the misty plains and began to run.

Epona watched her go with large sad eyes, but the horse didn't move otherwise. Duvaine imagined the shock Link would be in when he woke up to find her gone and hoped he wouldn't be angry. She prayed he would understand. It caused tears to prick in her eyes, she hadn't realized how much she had come to enjoy Link's company and the feeling of protection he indeed offered. Shaking herself, she turned away. If leaving him behind was the only way to keep him safe from her impending doom, then so be it.

The mist seemed to become thicker the farther she went, it swirled around her until it really was almost as black as night. Her run turned into a walk, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. A shiver ran down her back, the feeling of being watched tickled her neck. Turning around to check behind her, she didn't see the figure appear within her path until she ran into it and landed on her rump with a shocked yelp.

"What are you doing?" Uma's voice rang through the air scoldingly. Duvaine's panic significantly decreased. "You cannot go into Castle Town."

Her relief suddenly turned into confusion and a bit of indifference. "What do you mean? Where have you been? How did you find me―?"

"Enough questions, just listen." The woman snapped, light lavender eyes glinting at her. "If you go into Castle Town the seal will deteriorate faster. The curse will spread quickly, and you will die."

Duvaine blinked, gulping slightly. "Seal? What seal?"

"The only thing standing between that demon and the people of this world is you. If you fail then the rest of the world is lost as well." The woman explained, as if she were telling her a bed time story. "The Hero knows how to break the curse. He will take to where you need to go. But you cannot go through Castle Town. It's much too big of a risk."

Duvaine was speechless, her mouth hanging open as she tried to grasp what Uma was telling her. "How do you know this? What _seal?_ What about Fovi?! I have to find Fovi!" She gasped, realizing what avoiding Castle Town would mean.

"Forget her, she cannot help you." Uma told her callously. "Break the curse."

Duvaine opened her mouth to say something more, but the sound of a bird in the distance made her jump. She whipped towards the noise, relaxing when she realized what it was.

Turning back to Uma, the sentence died in her throat as she stared into the empty field.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"You shouldn't stand so close to the window." Anoc's gruff voice was quiet in the small room.

Fovi turned towards him for just a moment, catching his eye. "You shouldn't tell me what to do." She grumbled, turning back to the dark street. There was a sigh across the room and she heard the bed creak as he stood up.

"We can't just hide in here forever." She growled under her breath, "We have to do _something._ " Fovi wasn't much of a crier, but she could feel the hopelessness pulling at her tear ducts.

"There's nothing we can do but hide." Anoc murmured, closer than she thought him to be. Her heart gave a flutter, her skin turning warm. She growled at herself and him, not wanting him to be right and not wanting to give in to her body's distractions.

"I can't just sit in here and do nothing while the entire country is in flames back home!" She hissed, whipping around to face him. "And Duvaine― Oh Din, Duvaine..." At this the tears did finally spill over. "She sacrificed herself for us, she's probably dead― or worse." Turning away from him, she gazed back out the window, trying to hide her tears from him and completely failing.

"Fovi." He whispered under his breath, the sound made a shiver crawl down her spine. Two gentle hands turned her around to face him. Anoc towered over her, his blonde hair looked dark in the dim room; his emerald green eyes flashed at her in the darkness. His warm callused hands came up to cup her face gently, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. Her body began to tremble under his touch, she remembered what Duvaine had told her.

Duvaine knew what other people felt, so she didn't doubt it when she told her Anoc was in love with her.

 _And I'm in love with him._ She thought, closing her eyes as a fresh wave of tears began to leak out. They were doomed if they ever returned to Elohn, and that was the only place Fovi wanted to be.

"Don't cry." He told her gently, pulling her from her thoughts. "I don't like it when you cry."

She huffed a laugh, "You don't like it when I do anything that isn't sitting in this stupid room hiding." She pointed out bitterly. He pressed his lips into a hard line.

"You know why I'm doing this." He told her simply, and he was right. Yes, of course she knew why. Hot anger flashed through her. A sudden storm she didn't know was there. An anger at her country and her life for not being different, and anger at the people who doubted her and the people who said she couldn't be happy because she owed it to the kingdom.

"Sometimes I wish that wasn't the only reason." She answered bitterly, pulling away from his comforting hands. "I'm sick of being told what to do. I'm sick of not being able to say what I want. I'm sick of having my entire life planned out by people who don't know me or care about me. I'm sick of all of it. They took Duvaine away from me, they killed my father's spirit, they've taken away any reason I may have had for living."

His arms fell back to his sides, his handsome features looked sad in the dark. "This is why I'm protecting you. Don't you see?"

She wrapped her arms around herself, afraid to look at him in the dark. Her red hair swirled around her shoulders, falling over her back. She could feel a small tug, and didn't move as Anoc played with one of the unruly strands.

"You're the only person that can change Elohn for the better Fovi. You're the brightest most independent person I know. You're more fit than most men on the court, and you will lead Elohn into a new era. I believe in you." She could hear the smile in his voice, her feelings climbed up into her throat, threatening to spill out.

They stood in silence for a moment, the tug on her hair disappeared. She was too stunned to say anything, too stunned to even deny her feelings as they all came rushing back into her chest full force. Anoc believed in her? Truly? Did he really believe she could help their ruined country?

He cleared his throat, she blinked and turned towards him finally. The ghost of a smile played on his lips, lips she had been dreaming about since she was a young girl. If he noticed where her gaze was going, he didn't say anything.

"You should get some―" His sentence was cut off as Fovi took a step towards him and latched her face to his. He pulled away sharply, hurt filled her chest as he looked down at her. "What are you doing? You don't have to―"

"Shut up and kiss me." She growled, pulling his lips back down to meet her own. "Tha's a order." She added against his soft lips.

Kissing Anoc had been everything she had imagined and more. His lips moved against hers, gentle and soft, finally relenting. His body relaxed against her, she could feel every one of his muscles through his thin shirt. He kept a warm hand on her waist, the other moving up to tangle in her hair, a shiver wracked her body. Fovi's heart was singing, Duvaine had known. Duvaine had known it all along, even before Fovi herself did.

They came up for air, and then Anoc began to trail soft hot kisses along her jaw. Her breathing was ragged as she twined her fingers in his hair, desperately pulling him closer.

"I love you." She whispered against his ear, he froze for a moment before finding her lips again. His lips were more rough this time, still gentle but demanding. Who was Fovi to deny him?

Her hands fumbled for his shirt, but two strong hands gripped her wrists tightly. Anoc was blushing just as hard as she was, breathless and flustered. They stood there for a moment, both trying to catch their breaths. He leaned forward, lips brushing her ear as he whispered:

"I love you too your Highness."

XXXXXXXXXXX

 ***GASPS* Plot twist anybody!? XD**

 **Hope you enjoyed guys, until next time.**


	8. Pain

**Pain**

* * *

"Would you like anything to drink Princess?" The maid asked. Fovi nodded with a smile, taking the full goblet of juice in a silk wrapped hand.

Duvaine waited for her turn to be served, but the girl with the drinks didn't even glance at her. The longer she waited, the more confused she became. Her throat was dry; she was so thirsty.

"C-can I have some...?" Duvaine finally dared to ask, her voice was small and instantly faded away from the look of disgust the server threw at her. Duvaine bit her lip, the girl's hatred overpowered the empath's senses, choking her. Holding back a whimper, Duvaine sank further into her uncomfortable chair.

"What's wrong Duvaine?" Fovi asked, leaning over from her golden throne beside the King. Duvaine's seat was very small and nondescript compared to the royalties arrangements. Fovi towered a half foot above her, straining her short neck to see Duvaine sitting just beside her.

"Nothing." Duvaine bit her lip, not wanting to incur hateful stares from anybody else.

"Don't lie Duvaine." Fovi scolded, brow furrowing. They were very young, Duvaine only just having her fifth birthday. Her lip trembled, a few tears managed to leak out before she could stop them.

"Maybe if I were a princess, I could have some juice too."

Fovi looked puzzled, then her eyes narrowed at the serving girl that had moved on to a table full of giggling nobles.

"Duvaine, you are a princess! The most beautiful princess I've ever met." Fovi smiled at her, and Duvaine couldn't help but smile back. Her optimism was cut short by a sharp angry noise coming from Fovi's father: The King.

"Don't be ridiculous." He scoffed, eyes hard as he looked between the two girls. "She's nothing more than a watchdog. I don't want to hear anymore of this _nonsense._ "

His eyes were hard, Duvaine could feel his contempt for her. She could see her own father standing near the King's seat, turning his head to witness her scolding. Her father, Zara, Elohn's faithful and foreboding scientist. His eyes narrowed at her, she turned away from his gaze, already knowing she would be in trouble at the end of the night.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Duvaine blinked the memory away, holding her breath steady as her emotions attempted to get away from her. It was true, it was all true. Duvaine wasn't the princess of Elohn. She was very far from that title. Made worse by the fact that Fovi's nickname had stuck with her for many years to come.

When she was born, her father had discovered her strange abilities to feel the emotions from those around her. As she grew, so did the power's strength. Eventually, after a lot of forced practice, she was able to turn a man's inner feelings against them. The process tore a person apart from the inside out. It was horrific and brutal, and by the time she was thirteen she could kill anybody that wore ill intentions on their sleeve.

Throughout her life in Elohn, she had fulfilled her role as "watchdog." Many times, Duvaine had saved Princess Fovi from an assassin hidden within a crowd. Many times, the court would watch in horror as her power took affect and one among them fell writhing on the floor in his own squalor of loathing.

Despite her pitiful upbringing, Fovi had saved her. If it weren't for Fovi's kindness, her heart warming personality, Duvaine surely would've become an emotionless savage herself. Reflecting back on the years, Duvaine found she wouldn't trade them. As far as she could tell, she had had one purpose and one purpose only: To keep Princess Fovi of Elohn, alive and well.

It was the only thing that had driven her that night in the dark as they scrambled to get away from their own kingdom. Right down to lying to Link about who she _really_ was. Poor Link, he believed she was the princess. Guilt and shame washed over her. Duvaine would do what she had to in order to keep Fovi safe, not just because it was her purpose, but because Fovi was the only family that Duvaine had ever really known.

The wind pulled at loose strands of her hair. The clouds had cleared, the mist taken away with them. Hyrule Castle stood before her, the entrance to Castle Town was invisible to her due to the dark cave the path disappeared into. She had been sitting there for hours, contemplating Uma's words.

There was a line of people trying to enter the city, they looked weather beaten and sad. She could feel the hope that sparked in nearly all of them. They had to be refugees, and there was only one place they could possibly be coming from. The closer she looked, the more she was sure. They were citizens that had fled Elohn.

Nobody noticed her among the tall grass. If any of those people were to see her and recognize her, there would be an uproar. If that were to happen, all her chances of finding Fovi would be gone.

Uma's words rose to the surface of her mind again.

 _If you go into Castle Town the seal will deteriorate faster. The curse will spread quickly, and you will die._

 _The only thing standing between that demon and the people of this world is you._

It was all she could do to keep the despair from exploding from her chest. The whole reason for coming to this place was to find Fovi. It was the only thing she wanted to do, the only thing she needed to do. It was selfish, but if there was a chance Fovi was alive and hiding in the city... Duvaine was going to find her.

And that meant going into the city where her own death was surely waiting.

Before she could have a chance to slip into the line of people, she felt Link's presence on the edge of her senses. Her body seized up, but she couldn't bring herself to move. It didn't surprise her to discover that she _wanted_ to wait for him. It was stupid of her to have left him behind in the first place. If what Uma said was true, then she needed to have somebody on her side that knew the city. Link, twice now, was her only hope to succeed.

So, despite her reflex to run away and hide from him, she sat in the grass and waited for him to catch up.

She didn't have to wait very long, his anger and concern were brewing when she heard Epona stop a few feet beside her. Her eyes were glued to the line of people ahead; she couldn't bring herself to peel her gaze away. The sound of his boots hitting the ground made her stiffen. He came closer, and closer, until he towered above her crouched form. Finally daring to look up into his eyes, she instantly regretted it.

He was furious.

The memory was still fresh in her mind, maybe that's what was making her so emotional. She knew that was false, she was always emotional. Fury and anger was something she was used to feeling. It was a shock to feel it coming from Link like this, especially because it was directed towards her. Turning away, she tried to hide the tears as they leaked out of her eyes.

"Why?" He asked, anger barely hidden behind his careful control. She couldn't reply, not yet, she squeezed her arms tighter around herself. "I thought you wanted my help." He deadpanned.

Keeping her face hidden, she simply nodded, but then changed her mind and shook her head.

"Then why ask to come with me if you don't want my help?" He shot, her tears flowed faster at the anger in his tone. She didn't say anything, and that only seemed to make him angrier. He stooped down and gripped her by the shoulders gently, forcing her to face him. He took one look at the tears leaking down her face, and his eyes softened. "Oh... Duvaine." He sighed, she hiccuped in response.

"I do want your help!" She cried. "But I don't want your life as payment for it. I'm dangerous." He actually had the nerve to chuckle.

"Trust me, it will take a _lot_ more than a few soldiers to kill me. I've been through hell and back, literally. I can handle anything." He smirked, his eyes bore into hers with a confidence she could never feel herself.

Holding back a protest, she bit her lip. She needed to tell him the truth. He deserved to know if he was going to continue to help her. Something stopped her. If by some miracle she could find Fovi, then Link could be on his way and she wouldn't have to worry about putting him in danger any longer. Then she could let him go, and he would be safe. For some reason, the thought of never seeing him again stung.

Fighting a fresh wave of tears at the thought, she took a shaky breath and glanced toward the city. Castle Town was an ominous presence on the edge of her mind. If she did go there, she knew what she was risking, she knew what could happen if she lost control for even a moment.

For Fovi, she was willing to risk it.

"I need you to help me find Fovi." Her voice, for once, sounded stronger than she felt. "Please." She added.

He looked at her for a long moment, then a small smile flashed across his handsome face. Her heartbeat slammed into her chest. More guilt hit her gut for lying to him, but she would do anything to keep those she cared for safe, including him.

"Of course." He gave her a small squeeze and helped her to her feet. "I'm sorry for being so angry before. I woke up and had no idea where you had gone." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, but Duvaine couldn't blame him really. "Your note was really vague."

"I'm sorry for running off." She mumbled, not meeting his gaze. His chuckle was light, not bearing any of the weight that she felt he was hiding.

"It's alright, just don't do it again." He threatened, but his eyes shined with humor. Turning away from his stunning features, she wondered aloud.

"Why is the line moving so slowly?"

Link's brow furrowed, all traces of humor gone. "I think their checking people as they go into town."

Duvaine's face drained of what little color it had. "They're looking for me."

Link blinked in surprise, eyebrows raised. "You may be right. I can get us through. Let's go."

Before she could protest, his hands wrapped around her waist and placed her back into Epona's saddle. Her skin was itching as he mounted the horse behind her. When they didn't start forwards right away, she turned to look at him. He threw a blanket around her, swathing her shoulders in it and pulling it over her head.

"Wha― ?"

"Trust me." He smiled at her, "Swing one leg over will you?"

She did as she was asked, when he seemed satisfied that she was properly concealed, Epona started forwards. Duvaine gasped as Link clasped her to his chest, his face just inches above hers.

"This is going to take some convincing, but I need you to just act sick and play along alright?" His chest rumbled against her ear, she fought back a shiver and nodded meekly as she tried to control her breathing.

Epona shot forward with a whinny, Duvaine dared a glance ahead. Surprisingly, Link wasn't going to the end of the line, he was surging to the front, weaving between people as if he were in a hurry. The cave was cool as they passed through it, the people waiting for their turns grumbled angrily as Link prodded Epona passed them.

His arm around her tightened as they emerged into the light again. There were soldiers ahead, five of them. It seemed as if they were searching everybody before letting them through. Duvaine buried her face into Link's tunic as a tremor of fear passed through her. For the first time, she realized just how dangerous this was. If she was caught, they would surely send her back to Elohn, she didn't know what would happen there. It wouldn't be anything good.

"Halt!"

Epona skidded to a stop, and Duvaine shuddered. In response, Link rubbed small circles into Duvaine's back. It did nothing to comfort her really, she was trying to process the emotions the city was emitting. It was a painful black mass that seemed to call to her. She was very aware of the curse ingrained in her skin, it was humming from the energy. They weren't even in town yet, and her head was splitting with a headache.

"I need to pass." Link told them in a commanding voice. Duvaine shivered, biting back a whimper against his chest. Inhaling the scent of him, she tried to calm herself. He smelled like the forest and the wind, dirt and sweat... also a little bit like sheep.

"You'll have to wait in line then like everybody else―"

"Yo, Kuzom, you know who that is right?!" Another guard muttered quietly. There was a moment of silence, and then:

"Oh. Oh I'm so sorry Hero. Can I ask what your business is?" The same voice from before asked.

Duvaine was frozen, suddenly rigid against Link's chest. What did that guard say? Link rubbed her back again gently, mistaking her sudden stillness for fear.

"Yes, this child is sick. I need to get to the doctor immediately." Link replied urgently.

"Well, er― We have strict orders to check everybody that is coming into the city sir..."

Link didn't say anything for a moment, Duvaine felt him lean forward slightly. "I've spoken with Princess Zelda, I know who you're searching for. Now move aside so I can get to the doctor."

The guard didn't say anything more. Duvaine focused on his energy, trying to ignore the black mass of Castle Town's population. The guard was feeling guilty, but also a little bit suspicious as he opened his mouth to reply.

"I'm sorry, the order is final. I have to sir. He can wait for a few more―"

It was a strange feeling, to warp somebody else's. She had never done it before, and yet it came so naturally as she pulled at the string that was his mind. It twisted and changed until there was no suspicion, only trust.

"―minutes... While you ride to the doctor's office. Hurry now, go."

Link was surprised but didn't question it; and then they were moving again before the guard could change his mind. Finally, Link stopped the horse when they were well within the gate and was pulling Duvaine down in a hurry. Tucking her under his arm, he elbowed into the crowd of people towards a destination unknown. She saw him hand a rupee to a small boy, and she watched him lead Epona in the opposite direction.

His strong arms were comforting around her, but didn't stop her mind from sliding into a daze.

 _Link is the Hero._

How could that be? Was it really so impossibly easy? It couldn't be true, she wanted to protect him, keep him safe. He couldn't possibly be sucked into her problems even more so than he was? Could he?

The emotions around her were battering, tempting and dangerous all at once. The blackness on her skin was humming, the cloak and Link's grip was making her warm. After they walked for a long time, Link pulled her into a seemingly deserted alley. Pulling the blanket away from herself, she took a deep breath as she fought a wave of nausea.

"Are you alright?"

"You're the Hero?" She breathed through the burning sensation in her head. He blinked, confusion clouding his eyes along with disappointment.

"No― I mean yes. It doesn't matter." He told her gruffly, she couldn't understand his sudden anxiety. "Come on, down this way. Telma should have a room for us."

The empath blinked, Link's gentle grip tugged her forward softly. His form was blurry in front of her as she almost tripped down the stairs. Finally, he was opening a door and pulling her through it.

Uma had been right. It was a mistake coming here.

Her eyes had to adjust to the light for just a moment, then she could make out the tell tale shapes of a bar. She had never been inside one before, it was strange to see something that wasn't a picture or words in a book. There were only a dozen people inside, some drinking and almost all of them laughing. It was a large room, nicely lit. A warm feeling dulled her mind, slightly easing the pain; she realized it was from the man passed out drunk in the corner. Trying to block him out, she paused in the doorway as Link hurried forward. Another wave of nausea hit her and she staggered slightly; Link was too occupied to notice.

"Wait here. I'll find Telma." He told her with a glance, then he was gone. Swallowing her fear, she tried to ignore the people. It wasn't after a few minutes of keeping her face down and eyes closed, did she realize somebody was trying to talk to her.

"Hey, hey you. Yeah, you! Come here!" There was a man sitting on a bar stool, a rather large impish grin plastered across his face. He didn't seem to be with anybody, Duvaine flinched away from the lust clouding the man's brain.

She didn't reply, only turning her head away and trying to make herself seem smaller. That only seemed to bolster his determination. Before she could do anything (not that she could have anyway) a strong hand wrapped around her wrist tightly and dragged her to the empty bar stool beside him. The man had dark hair and dark eyes to match, although he looked slightly older than Link. Trying to pry her hand away from his grasp, she gave a small whimper when he sat her down. It was terrifying how easy it was for him. Something inside her flared, but she shoved the urge down to the pit of her stomach.

"I see you came here with the Hero. Where did he pick you up?" The man growled, a strange smile plastered his face. Duvaine was choking on his filthy mind, so clouded by self indulgence and self importance.

Again she didn't reply, but the man didn't seem to mind. "It doesn't really matter. What are you hiding under that hood? A pretty face I suppose." She felt his fingers brush her hood back slightly, and for a moment his foul breath was in her face as he looked her over. His eyes widened, and she waited for his disgust; it never came. The man's grin seemed to grow wider.

"The Hero likes the exotic ones, just like that woman from the other realm. What do you say you and I get out of here?" The man touched a callused finger to her jaw, she pulled away in disgust. As she moved to get off of the stool, a firm hand squeezed her thigh roughly, keeping her in place. Fear was beginning to leak from the barriers she had shrouded herself in. The curse mark throbbed in the background, tempting her to drain this man of his pompousness. It would be so easy, effortless. That's what terrified her.

Pushing the temptation away, she pulled away from his grasp and jumped down to the floor. A strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her against his body. The man's wretched breath incapacitated her for a heart stopping second.

"Don't be like that, I'll be real gentle... at first." The man's eyes twinkled with something she didn't want to explore. One of his intruding hands moved down to cup her behind. A whimper left her lips as she struggled to get away. Nobody seemed to notice her struggle among the business of the bar. She could feel the darkness reaching up into her eyes. Remembering the soldier from the gate, she reached out to his emotions again; maybe she _could_ stop this before she accidentally killed him.

But of course she didn't need to. Before she could blink, Link was in front of her and the intruding man was on the floor. Her eyes were wide with shock, Link's protective stance in front of her melted her feelings of terror to jelly. The bar had fallen silent, everybody turning to watch as the man tried to get up again. Link moved forwards as fast as lightning, the man was shoved up against the wall, Link held him up by the throat.

"Don't ever come back in here." Link growled, the entire bar heard the unspoken threat. Then the man was sputtering and coughing on the ground as Link strode away, passed Duvaine briskly. His hand snagged her arm tightly as he pulled her along. She could only let herself be dragged, the encounter too fresh in her mind as she tried to process it.

"Well now. Thank you there Link. I've been looking for an excuse to kick that man's sorry arse out for days." A large woman was waiting for them at the end of the bar. Duvaine could only glance at her, feeling everybody's stares on them still. "This way then."

The woman led them into a back room, into what seemed to be a library. Duvaine could tell it wasn't open to the public by the absence of people and how clean it was. The woman leading them was one of the tallest women Duvaine had ever seen. She stood almost a foot taller than Link, dark hair and gentle brown eyes. She turned towards them as they reached the end of one row of books, revealing a shirt that didn't cover quite a bit of cleavage.

"None of the members are using it tonight, it should be free for a few days." The woman said, eyes drifting towards Duvaine. "Are you alright honey?"

Link's gaze flickered to hers too, both of them radiating concern. It was then that she realized that she was trembling.

"F-fine." She managed, but she could feel the wetness already dampening her lashes.

Neither of them looked convinced, and it was then she realized Link was still holding her arm in a steel grip. She moved her arm slightly, the strength of his fingers hurting her. With a jolt, he let go; he didn't say a word. It was then that she realized why she was trembling.

Link's anger― no, fury― was seeping into her chest.

She faintly noticed Telma reach up for a book and pull it down. A hidden door appeared as the bookshelves slid out.

"Everything should be set up for you. I'm so sorry that happened." Telma gave Duvaine a small apologetic smile, and she could feel that the woman was being sincere.

The large woman disappeared inside lighting a lamp that lit the small room. A second later she reemerged, and left the two alone.

The room was small, much more so in comparison to the main room. There were two beds inside, but almost no room between them and the small table that had been crammed within too. A candle in the corner offered a dim light, the smell of dust and slight mildew filled Duvaine's nose. Otherwise, it was quiet, besides Link's angry breathing.

His nostrils were flaring, his jaw set, there was an animalistic anger in his eye that Duvaine didn't want to cross.

"I'm sorry." She finally mumbled, not able to take the stress of the silence anymore.

" _You're_ apologizing? For _what_ exactly?" He demanded, spinning on her. Duvaine cringed away from his tone.

"Everything." She strained, sitting down on one of the beds. It was much softer than it looked. "Why are we here?"

"It's going to be dark in a few hours. And you need to rest." Link told her, setting down a few tools on the table before plopping down across from her. "How are you feeling?"

That was a can of worms.

"Horrible." She groaned. If felt as if her brain was being pulled in a thousand different directions. It wasn't pleasant in the slightest.

His eyes widened, "Why? Can I stop it?"

Duvaine somehow found it in herself to chuckle. "No, you can't stop it."

"It's because of the empathy?" He asked, she looked away from his face.

"Yes."

"Is there any way to turn it off? Or ignore it?"

That was a surprising question. "No. It's like... standing in a room of people. A lot of people. And they're all yelling at me, trying to get me to listen to each of them. After a while, your ears start to hurt. It gets harder and harder to block them all out, especially when there are more people. Impossible to ignore."

"The more people there are... the more painful it is?" He asked with a scowl.

"Yes." Her voice was more strained with every word.

There was another silence, but it wasn't uncomfortable, just painful. "I have to admit, I didn't think we would make it through the gate for a moment there." He was trying to distract her.

She tensed. "Me neither."

"The guard was acting strange too." He was watching her expression carefully.

"Was he?" She asked in a small voice, trying to hide her rising panic. She kneaded her temples gently, trying to alleviate the growing agony.

"You didn't have anything to do with it, did you?"

 _He is quite perceptive._ She thought with a twinge.

"Did you?" He asked again, she flinched away. His anger was growing again.

"Y-yes." She finally managed. He was angry because she was a monster, an evil manipulating monster―

"Why didn't you stop that man in the bar then? The same way?" His anger was simmering, and Duvaine found herself speechless. That's why he was angry?

Oh.

 _Oh._

"I- I- was going to try, but I just... I don't know I was frozen... I was sc―" She bit her lip.

"You were scared." He finished, she was angry at herself for it.

"I've always been scared Link. For as long as I can remember. I don't want to be scared anymore." She told him lamely, hanging her head in shame.

"You don't have to be." She looked up, he was smiling. "I'll protect you. You don't have to worry as long as you're with me."

She felt a shudder pass through her body. Link was the Hero, she couldn't keep him safe by leaving him behind as she had hoped. Deep in her bones, she could feel that their fates were connected. Maybe it was intuition; she prayed to the goddesses that she was wrong.

There was another fear lurking among her plagued thoughts. If he truly was the Hero, then he deserved to know the truth. He deserved to know why he was here and what he was risking by helping her, by being near her.

"Are you alright? You're trembling again." His concern washed over her, successfully shrouding her in a buffer for just a moment. Then the mixture of Castle Town's emotions swooped back into her mind.

"I― I need to tell you something. But I'm afraid." She admitted, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Don't be. You can tell me anything. Let me help you." His voice was sincere, it radiated a kindness she had been searching for for her entire life.

 _The Hero likes the exotic ones, just like that woman from the other realm._

She pushed the words away, not liking the way it affected her stomach. What had that man meant? Was Link involved with someone? Why did Duvaine care anyway?

 _One thing at a time._ She chastised, opening her mouth to tell him the truth. To tell him that she was a demon, and yet she needed his help.

"I'm not―"

The door burst open and Telma appeared, looking distraught. "Link! There are soldiers here! They're looking for you and the girl!"

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 **Glad you're enjoying! Leave a review if you like! :)**


	9. Empathy

**Empathy**

* * *

Duvaine froze in horror, distress bursting from her chest as Telma's words sank in.

"How many?" Link demanded, shooting to his feet. Duvaine suddenly noticed how tired he was. There were dark bags under his eyes; his weariness leaked into her own limbs. It was her fault that they were sleep deprived. All of it was Duvaine's fault.

Telma gave him a reproachful look with her hands on her hips; both of them were oblivious to Duvaine's trembling form. "You cannot fight your own men Link." She growled sternly.

His expression turned hard as flint, a scowl planted firmly on his determined face . "I will if I have to."

"You know the position Princess Zelda is in. She's only doing what is best for Hyrule." Telma told him coldly. Duvaine blinked in confusion at the woman's fierceness. Wasn't she helping them?

"I'm not just going to send her back to be executed." Link spat. Duvaine inhaled sharply at the words. Why shouldn't he? It would save him all this trouble if he did. "They won't be able to find us in here anyway―"

"They have hounds! There isn't time for this! Go through the tunnels! I trust you, if not your judgment. I will stall them for as long as I can, but you can't stay here." The woman left with a meaningful look. Despite the woman's hard expression, Duvaine could feel the woman's concern and anxiety for Link and herself.

"Come on." Link stalked to the corner briskly; Duvaine followed on unsteady feet.

He grabbed the large red rug on the floor in the corner of the room and hefted it out of the way. Beneath was a small hand hold in the floor; Link heaved it up, revealing the trap door. Duvaine could hear running water as he propped it open all the way. "Give me your hand. I'll lower you down."

Duvaine looked down into the darkness and shivered uncertainly. What was down there? What if he dropped her and she broke both of her legs? What if there was ten feet of water and she drowned?

"It's alright." Link forced a smile, despite his tired eyes. "Trust me, you'll be fine."

He held out his hand again and she grasped it tightly in hers after a moment's hesitation. The skin within her glove prickled; the curse eating at her skin trembled at the closeness of his flesh. She tried to ignore it as she stepped into the dark air.

Her stomach jumped up into her throat as her body became weightless. Link grunted above her as he lowered her into the dark hole. She squeezed her eyes shut and gripped his hand with both of hers. Duvaine's shoulders screamed as they strained to hold on.

"Alright, I'm going to drop you. Ready?" He asked through a strained breath.

"Wait―!" Duvaine shrieked in fright as air rushed passed her face. She landed hard on her feet and stumbled as her ankle rolled beneath her.

She fell face first into the water, barely catching herself as her hands instinctively flew up to catch herself. A groan escaped her lips as she propped herself up out of the flowing water. Pain laced through her ankle as she straightened it out. The water pierced her clothes, making her teeth chatter loudly. It was only a few centimeters deep, but still managed to chill her down to the bone.

Something heavy landed beside her; she gasped as water droplets splashed over her face.

"Duvaine? Are you alright? I'm sorry, I should've warned you before." Link's gruff voice was warm against her ear. His melancholy wafted through the air.

"I-it's ok." She whispered painfully.

"Did you hurt anything?" He pressed, she could hear him rustling with something in the dark, then there was a soft pressure against her ankle. The pressure was light, but still hurt. An involuntary hiss escaped her lips and Link murmured an apology.

"I'm sorry." He growled as he scooped her up into strong arms. "I'll look at it when we stop, we need to move now."

Duvaine couldn't reply, she was too cold. His chest was warm, she found herself curling into him instinctively. Link's embrace was a good place to be; she knew she could stay in it forever.

He carried her through the dark tunnels for a long time. She had no idea how he could possibly see in the pitless dark. The farther they went, the more she could feel him tiring beneath her. The realization brought warmth to her pale cheeks.

Guilt bubbled up in her chest. Link's exhaustion filled the atmosphere, making DUvaine feel groggy and sleepy. The curse mark flared in response to the empathy, a quiet pain in the background.

"Link let me walk." She chattered as loudly as she dared, not able to stand her guilt for another second.

"Duvaine, you're hurt. You don't need to prove anything―" He began.

"It's not for me, it's for you. You're about to fall asleep, let me walk." She tried to use her most commanding voice, but even to her own ears it still sounded like a squeak.

It seemed he couldn't find the strength to argue as he finally set her back down. The water ran passed her ankles, and she could already tell the there was no way she would be able to walk on with her injured foot.

"Duvaine―" Link began pointedly, she could sense him preparing to pick her up again. No matter how much she wanted him to, she couldn't let him.

"Let's rest here for a moment, please?" She begged. He sighed, but gave a grumble of relent. Duvaine almost cried in relief as she sat herself back down into the cold water. Her foot felt hot, and she hissed in relief as the cold water dragged over the skin gently.

"Let me take a look at it." Link sighed, she could see his shape kneel beside her in the dark.

His fingers grazed over her foot, pulling up the fabric to check it. He slid her boot off carefully and gently prodded her sore skin in different places. He muttered small apologies whenever she hissed in pain. His touch made her tremble more than the water did.

"It's quite swollen…" Link told her gently, pulling at the material of her stocking.

Duvaine didn't think twice about it, until his cold fingers grazed across her skin. She gasped in pain as the power of his emotions hit her full force.

She was inside his head, she could see everything.

Everything.

XXX

 _He was alone. Link was only a boy, ten summers old. He remembered sitting at the table as Rusl told him where he came from. Just a boy, terror and misunderstanding clouding his beautiful blue eyes._

 _Simply a lost child._

" _You're not my father?" Link asked in a small horror filled voice. "I'm all alone?"_

 _Rusl made a disgusted noise. "You are never alone. Don't ever forget that." He pulled Link into a hug as he sobbed into Rusl's clothes._

XXX

 _He was helping Uli do the chores. They sat beside the river and scrubbed clothes with Ilia._

" _Are you working with Fado today?" Ilia asked._

" _I'm not sure." Link replied. "Rusl is going to give me lessons today."_

" _Sword fighting lessons?" Uli asked with a frown. "Why would he do that? You'll never need to use a sword Link."_

 _Link's brow crinkled into a scowl. "But what if I do?"_

" _Then you'll be the best of the best." Ilia sighed, giving him a wistful smile. "You're growing up my friend."_

 _XXX_

 _Link was running through the forest as fast as he could. He had to catch up. He had to save them. His lungs screamed for air as he pushed himself onwards._

 _One more step._

 _One more step._

 _One more._

 _Then there was a wall. It rose above Link, reaching up into the heavens. It's black aura choked his senses, goosebumps sprang along his arms and legs._

 _Then it was pulling him in._

 _He howled in anger as the menacing tendrils bore him into the abyss._

 _The twilight pulled and grabbed and tore at his skin until there was nothing left but fur, teeth, and claws. His nose became a snout, his hands became paws, his arms became legs. When the darkness was finished with him, he was a dark angry beast standing tall for only a moment before his vision dimmed and everything disappeared._

 _XXX_

 _Then there was an imp. An ugly little thing._

 _She was rude, demanding, and snarky. Worst of all…. She was Link's only hope._

 _The imp insulted him, chastised him, and yelled at him as they traveled through fire, snow, and sky. They battled monsters and demons, fought side by side as they fought to save their worlds; neither cared for the other, only focused on using each other to save their own people._

 _Link didn't realize when they had started fighting for each other._

 _Her insults became praises, her chastisement became advice, her yelling became encouragement._

 _They sat beside a dozen campfires, each time sitting closer and closer as each day passed._

 _Link's sourness and resentment faded. His anger and irritation lessened. The imp wormed her way into his heart, without him allowing it._

 _Link fell in love with an outcast imp. He loved her quips and her sarcasm, he loved her fierceness and her tenacity, he loved making her angry and making her chortle._

 _They restored the realms, defeated the foe Zant, and put a sword through Ganondorf's heart. They did it all together, and somehow, in the end, despite all they had been through…_

 _._

 _._

 _._

" _See you later…" Her words tainted the air, and she disappeared forever in an explosion of glass…_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _...she left him anyway._

 _XXX_

Duvaine choked in pain when her conscious slammed back into the tunnel with powerful force . Link leaped away from her in the darkness, seething. His memories had flowed into her, making her pupils dilate and her chest explode with unimaginable pain.

She had watched his suffering, anger, depression, sorrow, joy, love, fear, and everything in between. Link felt so much fear; Duvaine had not realized how much of it he had been concealing for most of his life.

In just a few short moments, she had relived Link's life as if it were her own.

And it suddenly all made sense.

 _The Hero likes the exotic one. Just like that woman from the other realm._

"Her name was Midna." Duvaine uttered aloud, her voice full of shock. "You loved her."

Link's voice suddenly came as a growl. "What was that? How did you―?"

"That's why you're so broken. Because she left you without saying goodbye―"

"Stop." Link growled again, she could sense him coming closer to her in the dark. The curse mark was spreading across her skin like wildfire, yet all she could feel was incredulity. "What did you do? What did I just feel?" He demanded, Duvaine could only blink as tears sprang into her eyes.

What _had_ just happened? Duvaine's mind was still reeling.

"You were a blue eyed beast. They were afraid of you." Duvaine bit her lip. It was not easy for a soul to be laid bare by somebody else. Her intrusion had been accidental, and yet it was as if she had struck him. "That is what heartbreak feels like?" She asked brokenly as a sob wracked her chest.

He was silent for a long time, she didn't think he would answer. "I guess so."

Duvaine flinched, then swallowed her fear. There was no reason to be afraid of Link.

"She loved you too―" Duvaine began, then swallowed thickly when he interjected.

"Don't." He grunted. "You didn't know her. You don't know anything about her."

Duvaine tried to hide the hurt in her voice at his words, but he was right.

"I can see in your memories the way she looked at you. She did care for you. Why else would she destroy the mirror, if not to protect you?" Duvaine asked, he didn't reply. "Link―?"

"Duvaine." His words were like ice, more sharp than she had ever heard from him. "Enough. She was the only one who understood me, and she left me like I was nothing."

Duvaine sat shocked, at a loss for words. The cold seeping into her clothes was long forgotten, along with the pain arcing through her exposed ankle.

How could he not see it?

"She gave up her happiness for you." Duvaine said quietly. "Do you truly believe she wanted to leave you behind? She did it to protect you from her realm if another being like Zant tried to take power. She did it because she loved you."

"You can't―" Duvaine could feel that her words of truth brought a sting to his chest. But he needed to hear it.

"I can." Duvaine hissed, anger creeping into her voice. "Love is a beautiful thing Link. You should be happy to have experienced what that feels like. Love is strange and twisted and doesn't make sense. To love somebody else with all that you have, is truly one of the Goddesses greatest gifts to us."

"Duvaine…" Link grumbled.

"But do you truly believe she was the only one who understood you?" She asked sternly with a shake of her head; he was silent. "Do you truly know what it's like to be _alone_?"

"Do you?" He shot back, she could feel his anger rising again. "You grew up in a _court_ , full of royals and nobles and dresses―"

"Do you think that was living?!" She demanded. "You're right, I grew up with my father. But Rusl is more of a father to you than mine ever was to me." She spat, suddenly angry. "My father didn't love me. I was just another experiment that he wanted to _prod and poke_ until I did something new! You had Ilia, and Colin, Talo, Malo, Beth, Rusl, Uli, Bo, and everybody else in your village that loved you for you. Do _you_ know how it feels to have nobody want you? To have everybody around you hate you?!" Her voice was rising now as all her pent up anger began to burst forth in a long awaited tumble.

"Duvaine, nobody hates you." Link grumbled. She couldn't contain a humorless laugh. It must have been the nerves making her hysterical.

"Are you really that naive?" She asked. "Do you know what's worse? Feeling all of their hate in your own chest as if it were your own, when your only real crime was being alive."

There was a tense pause, and then:

"You have not been completely honest with me, have you?"

Duvaine cringed at the truth of his words. "No. I haven't." She replied softly, she deflated as her energy plummeted.

"Why?" He asked quietly.

"I thought it would keep you and Fovi safe. But I see now that I'm a fool. You're the Hero, and I cannot protect you anymore." Hot tears welled from her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Your life is very painful." Link said in the dark. Duvaine remembered what had happened between herself and Ilia; Link had been able to feel her emotions just as she had felt his.

"Yes. But I'm not going to let be that way ever again." She whispered, her chest still stung with the pain of his memories. "I'm going to find Fovi before I die. And I'm going to protect both of you."

"Before―?" Link's tone tinged with anger. "What do you mean before―?"

"That way!" A shout down the tunnel made the pair jump. Before Duvaine could answer his question he was picking her up and racing down the tunnel again.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 ** _I am so sorry this took so long! I've been so busy! Don't hate me!_**


	10. Prophecy

**Prophecy**

* * *

It was cold, so cold. The mixture of water and night air flying through the drafty tunnels was enough to make anybody's limbs grow numb. Duvaine shivered into Link's neck, trying to bury everything so deep in her mind that it would disappear forever.

"They're catching up." Duvaine whispered forlornly. Link's grip around her tightened slightly as he readjusted her weight. His exhaustion was growing heavier and heavier with each step.

"I know." He replied evenly. "Can you stop them?"

Duvaine shivered into him. His voice was gruff, probably because he was still reeling from what had just happened. He was angry, the emotion tainted the air. Was he angry at Duvaine for what had happened? Did he know she hadn't done it on purpose?

"I-I-I can't. I won't." She whimpered into the crook of his neck. His breath caught.

"Why?" He asked, softer than before. It seemed his exhaustion was taking the fight out of him.

"Because I don't want to kill them." She admitted strickenly.

Link only grimaced and kept going. His gait was becoming slower and slower with each step. The tunnel walls were a blur around them; Link was her only lifeline, keeping her off the ground in this endless nightmare.

"There are more soldiers coming into the tunnels, we'll get out here." Link huffed as he carefully set her on unsteady feet. There was a half broken ladder leading up to a hole; small rays of moonlight squeezed through a few cracks and shone down on Link's exhausted face. Duvaine grasped his arm tightly as she attempted to put weight on her ankle. A painful intake of breath seemed to tell Link all he needed to know.

"Leave me. You go ahead." Duvaine whispered, grasping for a handhold in the slimy wall.

Link snorted in disbelief. "You won't find Fovi by staying down here. Come on."

Duvaine bit back a whimper as Link mounted the steps, making sure they would hold his weight. He held a hand down to her, eyes skittering frantically down the tunnel.

"They won't be much longer. Hurry now." He told her urgently, Duvaine grasped his hand wondering how he could possibly know that. Although he was right, Duvaine herself could feel the aura's of the soldiers; she didn't need Link to tell her how far away they were.

Link had once been a blue eyed beast, had he not? A wolf had a much better sense of smell and hearing than any Hylian, human, or Elohnan. Was it possible that he had retained some of those abilities?

Duvaine couldn't dwell on it for more than a second before Link pulled her up beside him with a strained tug. Her fingers grasped the hard metal of the ladder tightly as she got her good foot beneath her. He climbed up farther and repeated the process until he was heaving the metal covering out of the way.

Link hauled Duvaine out of the hole and set her gently on the stone street. He hefted the covering back into place and then pulled Duvaine into the shadows of an alley. Her ankle ached, her breathing was heavy, and the curse mark was slowly wrapping its tendrils around her chest. With each breath, it eased closer to her heart.

She wasn't going to last much longer.

Link sat beside her, chest heaving. He wouldn't be able to keep going for much longer, Duvaine didn't know what she would do then.

"Din." Link cursed under his breath, his body went rigid beside hers.

Before she could ask, Duvaine knew. Soldiers came around the corner, their armor and spears glinting in the moonlight. Her breathing caught, Link struggled to get up; he was too exhausted, it was hopeless.

 _I'm sorry._ Duvaine thought as she reached out with her mind. The soldiers were weak compared to her own strength, she would crush them. Then they couldn't hurt Linkー

 _That isn't me._ She cried in her head, pulling away from their minds as if she had been bitten.

"They're innocent. I can't." Duvaine whimpered into Link's ear. "Just leave me and go. Thank you for all you have done. I deserve to be sent back, and I deserve to die."

The words were sawdust in her mouth, but she had to say them. If Link was caught with her… he would be taken away too no doubt. Hero or not.

"I'm notー"

The wall behind them disappeared and they both fell backwards in surprise.

"In now. Hurry." A voice demanded urgently. Duvaine didn't have to be told twice as she scrambled backwards on her hands and foot. They had been leaning against a door without even knowing it.

When they were both inside, the woman shut the door tightly. Duvaine checked over Link, noting that his chest was still heaving and his eyelids were half-sagged.

"Who are you?" Duvaine asked tiredly, turning to their rescuer.

The woman that turned towards them was short and wide. She wore a colorful nightdress, and a large head dress that didn't cover her heavily pierced ears.

"I knew you would come here Chosen One." The woman scolded. "It's been haunting me for weeks! And here you are, with one of the Twilight's monsters _again_ no less! This girl will be the death ofー"

"Madame Fanadi." Link muttered as he rolled slowly to his feet. "I did not pay for a reading."

The woman huffed. "No, you didn't. Come this way, the soldiers will leave you be for now. I have a place you can rest."

Duvaine jumped when Link's hands wrapped around her arm and waist, silently helping her to her feet. Her teeth were still chattering noisily, but it was slowly fading as the warmth from the home seeped into her clothes.

They passed through several large rooms, each one more colorful than the last. Finally, Madame Fanadi stopped. The room was dim until the Madame lit a small candle. It was filled with plush pillows and colorful blankets. There was a washbasin in the corner and some water and food set neatly on a tray at the nearest table.

Duvaine's stomach rumbled, her mouth suddenly watering as the smell of warm soup hit her nose.

"You may stay here for the night. There is some healing potion among those bottles for your injury." The woman told them. "Get some sleep, you will need it." With that, she closed the door behind her.

Duvaine collapsed on the mat, pillows squashed beneath her. Link stumbled towards the tray and brought the healing potion to her wordlessly. He handed her the bottle and collapsed beside her. Before she could say anything, his light snores hit her ears.

The bottle was surprisingly warm in her hand as she uncorked it. It tasted good, like lemons and rosemary. The warmth seeped into her stomach and across her tired limbs, fixing her ankle as it lulled her to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Of course, nightmares were her only company in sleep.

That dog was there again. It stood proudly as it bared its' teeth at her. The chain clasped around it's leg.

"I know you." She tilted her head in confusion as she came closer. It growled. "You're so hurt inside aren't you?"

The beast snarled and took a menacing step towards her. Duvaine blinked slowly in response, she could feel his emotions plainly, and they were not aggressive. No, they were curious and scared. But Duvaine was used to others feeling fear in her presence.

"You won't hurt me, and I won't hurt you." Duvaine smiled as she reached out a hand to pat it on the head. "You're not a beast, like me."

The growl died, and the dog looked perplexed. Duvaine hummed as she scratched the animal behind the ear, then her hums turned into quiet sobs. She buried her eyes into it's fur, letting the tears flow freely.

"I'm afraid." Duvaine whispered, then something was pulling at her ankles.

The beast snarled as she was pulled screaming, into the darkness.

Everything shifted, a scene lay before her. She floated above two souls, both standing with swords drawn. One was a beautiful woman. Her hood discarded, revealing a plane of gorgeous auburn hair, high pale cheekbones, and piercing magenta eyes. Her ears were longer and more pointed than any other Hylian or Elohnian Duvaine had ever seen.

The other was a man, handsome face hidden behind a helmet of gold. His armor and sword radiated power, his muscles thicker than any man alive. He was all braun, a brute with the strength of ten men.

"What you ask is suicide." He growled deep within his chest.

"I am not asking any more than you have already done. You will live the rest of your life in peace, and when the time comes, you will teach your successor. You should only be thankful that it is too late for me to use you instead." The woman's voice sounded like a cadence of bells, sweet and as beautiful as her face. It did nothing to hide the threat.

"You will only incur Din's rage once more. Didn't you learn the first time? Killing the next Chosen One, for what? To save a love that was doomed from the start? You are a fool for trying." The man turned away, the woman's face contorted with fury.

"No, you are a fool for not listening when I gave you a chance." She hissed, and lunged.

Duvaine watched in horror as the beautiful woman's blade pierced through the warrior's back. He howled in shock, and then crumpled to his knees.

Duvaine squeezed her eyes shut, willing the dream to go away. When she opened them… it was not what she had been hoping for.

Duvaine was holding the sword protruding from his body, the man's eyes turned back to her in horror. His skin began to peel away in flakes, turning to ash, leaving nothing behind but his skull.

"You cannot save him." The bones warned; two hot red coles flared to life in his eye sockets. "But you may still try." He laughed.

Duvaine sat up in horror, clutching her throat as she tried to find air to breath. A horror stricken sob wrenched from her gut.

Her pale gaze turned towards Link's sleeping form. He hadn't even stirred. She let out a grateful breath, but it was cut short as the door slowly swung open.

"Come." It was Madame Fanadi; she gestured Duvaine forwards before disappearing into the hall.

The girl hesitated, looking between Link and the door uncertainly. After a few moments of reluctance, she rose to her feet. Her ankle didn't hurt anymore and she could walk without pain.

The halls were still dim due to lack of windows as Duvaine followed the woman's head dress into another, larger, more open room. There was a door, and a table with a crystal ball carefully balanced on its' pedestal.

The woman stopped and turned back to Duvaine, towering over the shorter girl.

"I have seen it. You will break the curse." The woman told her blankly.

"I've found Link." Duvaine whispered, lowering her gaze. " _Find the Hero, break the curse._ "

"Break it, or you will die."

Duvaine shifted her weight uncomfortably. "How?" She asked, dreading the answer.

"I know what you are. I know what is housed within you. The only way to break the curse is to cleanse it with a pure soul graced by the goddesses."

"Y-you mean...?" She gasped, stumbling away from the woman's sad gaze.

"You're falling in love with him. And yet, he is the only one that must die by your hand."

Her chest tore in two, the woman wasn't lying. "No." She hissed, backing away. "I choose to die."

Madame Fanadi dipped her head. "Go out that door and run girl. Run, and you will find the right path."

"Linkー" She gasped through a sob.

"If you want to help him, run." The woman commanded.

The room was getting smaller and smaller as Duvaine stumbled backwards. The room spun around when her back hit the wooden door, knocking the breath out of her. It wasn't true, it couldn't be true.

"Why is this happening to me?" Duvaine gasped as she fumbled for the door handle. The woman shook her head sadly.

"You will have your answer, but first you must run." The woman's expression turned sour. "Go!"

Duvaine ripped the door open, her arms weak as jelly. The sun blinded her as she almost fell into the crowded street. Her breath was ragged as she stayed against the wall, holding it for support. When had it gotten so bright out? The sun blinded her for a moment, scorching her eyes.

 _Run where?!_ She screamed, searching among the people frantically.

Something reflecting the sunlight caught her eye. Her entire body stiffened on the hard cobblestones, muscles tensed in fear when she spotted the metal armor. The soldiers approached her lazily, as if knowing they had all the time in the world. Her muscles were trapped, she couldn't move. Duvaine whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut as the sounds of their armor and boots hitting the ground came closer and closer until they were right on top of herー

Then they kept going.

The line of men didn't even glance in her direction as they marched passed. Duvaine let out a frantic breath before ducking into the alley. Then she was sprinting.

Her legs pumped clumsily beneath her, slowly growing confidence as she went farther. Her lungs gasped for air as she reached the other end, emerging from the shadow filled space. Her sudden appearance made a homeless man jump in surprise. He grumbled before going back to fumbling through the garbage can.

Duvaine pulled her hood further over her head, keeping her eyes downcast as she jogged into the morning light. There was a fountain ahead of her, a few restaurants and cafe's lining the impeccable street. The fountain bore a statue of Hyrule's mark, the triforce, representing each of the Goddesses. She remembered glimpsing it when they had first arrived. Duvaine dipped her head in respect as she shuffled closer. Her gloved hands were sweating as she felt the cool marble through the fabric, sighing in relief.

Her chest ached as the people moved around her, oblivious to the danger they were in. The curse mark was almost done, a tendril was wrapping around her neck and slowly growing up towards her ear.

Duvaine was almost out of time.

So what should one do when they are about to cause an apocalypse in the middle of town?

She sat down on the marble fountain, and tried to steady her breathing.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Duvaine had no clue how long she sat there, letting the minds of others lull her into a sort of half sleep as she wrestled with her conscious.

 _You're falling in love with him. And yet, he is the only one that must die by your hand._

Falling in love with Link? Is that what this feeling was? Duvaine supposed she did love Link. That's how it felt in her chest. Her thoughts always drifted to him, those blue eyes always swimming in the back of her mind.

This feeling for Link… it was deep in her chest, and it reminded her of the love she felt for Fovi. Only, it wasn't the same. Love is love. Duvaine had felt it in others since she was a child, but never had she thought to experience it.

 _You're falling in love with him._

The fortune teller had been wrong… at least a little bit. Duvaine wasn't _falling_ in love with Link because she already was.

And he had to die for her to live.

A sob broke free from her chest, eliciting some strange looks from the people passing by. She ignored them as her being tore at the seams. Her gaze peeled across the square. There was no way she could let that happen. Duvaine would let herself die before she killed Link to save herself.

Her bottom lip trembled as she stood, holding her tongue when somebody bumped into her slightly.

"Sorry." A voice murmured, the woman didn't even glance at her before bustling into the crowd again.

Duvaine's voice was stuck in her throat as she stared after the hooded figure.

 _Fovi?_

Swallowing heavily, she lurched after the rapidly disappearing woman. Maybe she had just imagined it… But the girl's emotions felt like Fovi's. Could it truly be that easy?

The girl looked back, only once, to see that she was being followed. Duvaine tried to look unthreatening as the girl ducked into the back door of a large building. Duvaine waited only a second before ducking in right behind her.

There was a small spiral staircase with a door beneath it. Duvaine gauged the girl had gone up the stairs, when something hard hit her from behind.

Duvaine gasped in fear as a rough hand slammed her into the wall and a blade of Elohnian steel pressed against her throat. She looked up into Anoc's sea green eyes, too shocked to make any noise. He growled at her with an angry look for a moment, then:

"Duvaine?"

He didn't get to say much else, because somebody ripped Anoc off of her. Duvaine gasped, holding her throat in horror. She half expected Fovi to be there, muscling Anoc out of the way, but it wasn't.

Link growled angrily as he threw Anoc into the opposite wall with inhuman force and speed. Anoc gasped for air and slowly rose to his feet, lifting his sword in the process. Link stood in front of Duvaine protectively, pushing her against the wall.

"Link." Duvaine began softly. "This is Anoc. He's from Elohn."

"He attacked you." Link growled again, eyeing Anoc bitterly. The green eyed man gave Link a strange look, his eyes widening into horror.

"Do not stand so close to it." Anoc told him pointedly, giving Duvaine a bitter look.

The snarl that ripped through Link's chest made goosebumps rise on Duvaine's arms. He lunged forward, but Duvaine wrapped her arms around his middle before he could strike Anoc.

"Don't." She whispered against him, burying her face into his tunic. "Just leave it alone. I'll explain everythingー"

"I already know everything." Link muttered, his stiffness loosening slightly.

"Y-you do? How?" She asked.

"Madame Fanadi." Link growled.

"That crazy old woman doesn't know anythingー" Anoc began.

"Duvaine?" A light voice asked from the top of the stairs. "Is that you?"

"Fovi?" Duvaine asked, her body turning to jelly and her hold around Link's waist loosened.

"Duvaine!"

Fovi sprinted down the stairs, practically pushing the grumbling Link down in the process.

"You're ok!" Fovi sobbed into Duvaine's shoulder, who tried to pull away. "What's wrong?"

Duvaine laughed weakly. "Being a tree person isn't fun Fovi." She said lamely.

"Duvaine, what's wrong?"

She was highly aware of the two men staring daggers at one another a few feet away. Did she wish to explain in front of Link? Duvaine took a deep breath, she owed it to him.

"There was a seal placed on me when I was an infant…" Duvaine began. "It's what's kept the curse dormant all these years. But now… it's broken."

"Broken? How did you break it?" Fovi's green eyes bore into her, her cheeks flushed.

"I touched a shard from the Twilight Realm." Duvaine whispered.

"Let me see." Fovi demanded, pulling Duvaine's hood down. She didn't need to pull it far to reveal the tendrils of blackness creeping up her neck. The ends of her pale hair were turning black as well. Fovi cursed under her breath, Anoc was too busy staring to scold her.

"I need to leave Castle Townー" Duvaine began.

"This is your father's fault. And my father. He was stupid enough to agree to this." Fovi hissed.

"Wh-what?" Duvaine asked, Fovi wouldn't look her in the eye as she pulled Duvaine's hood back into place. A dark pool of guilt swam in Fovi's eyes, filling Duvaine's chest.

"Eighteen years ago, there was a Hylian spy caught stealing documents. They threw her in prison, but your father fell in love with her and she became with child." Fovi began quietly. The men were silent, it seemed all of them were holding their breaths. "He found an artifact deep in the sacred mountain. It had power that he couldn't access by himself. It was too powerful, and would corrupt the humans with their darkest desires. So your father suggested to use an unborn child. Something that would be innocent and pure. A blank slate."

"M-me?"

"Yes."

Duvaine was silent. "Y-you knew all these years and you didn't tell me?"

Fovi drew in a breath. "It only would have hurt youー"

"I lied to Link to find you. I trusted you with my life. And I come here to find that you betrayed me?!" Duvaine's voice was rising, anger surging into her chest. "How dare you!" She yelled, pushing Fovi away.

The three were silent, until Anoc jumped up with an angry protest. "How dare you speak to the Royal Highness this wayー"

He was cut short as Link threw him into the wall once more. "Leave her be."

"Who are _you_ supposed to be?" Anoc hissed, standing challengingly.

"I'm the Hero of Twilight. You're lucky I don't turn you in to Princess Zelda's men. The soldiers are tearing Castle Town apart looking for you." Link spit.

"Why are they looking for me?" Fovi demanded, whirling on Link.

Link squared his shoulders. "Your kind new ruler has demanded the return of the kidnapped princess. He's threatening war if you are not returned by the next full moon." Link told her bitterly, eyeing her.

Duvaine shivered, as a stem of pain coursed through the back of her skull. The darkness was spreading.

"Link." She said, and he was beside her. "We need to leave."

He nodded, and took her arm.

"What about us?" Fovi demanded as they headed out the door. Duvaine turned back slowly.

"You're doing just fine on your own Fovi. You don't need my protection anymore. Besides, I cannot stay with somebody who has lied to me for years." Duvaine did her best to keep her voice steady, but it still managed to shake.

The look on Fovi's face was heartbreaking; it was the only way to stop her from following them. Fovi's pain rushed through Duvaine's own chest, she coughed as it clouded her senses.

"Let's go." Link whispered as he gripped her firmly around the waist. "Do not follow us." He warned, turning back to give Anoc a murderous look.

Duvaine's vision turned blurry as they slammed the door behind them.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 **Here you go guys. Sorry for the delay! I've been really caught up in my other story lately, but I'm glad I got this out. Thank you for the reviews! I hope to hear more from you guys.**

 **Until next time~**

 **(also glad you don't hate me. ;))**


	11. Sick

**I'm so sorry this took so long guys! Leave a review if you're not mad at me! :3**

 **Sick**

* * *

"We're leaving _now_." Link growled into the cloth of her hood; his tone was harsh, but didn't hide his fear. It didn't matter anyway, Duvaine couldn't hear him over the bawling of her own heartstrings. All she could picture was Fovi's heartbroken face. The betrayal still burned Duvaine's throat.

"Let go of me." She finally croaked as he pulled her towards the eastern gate. They were almost there.

Had she done the right thing? Shouldn't she go back and apologize? Explain why she did it? Fovi was her sister, her only family. Would letting her go really keep her safe? And was it worth it?

Link didn't seem to hear her as his pace quickened. The sun was dipping towards the horizon now, blanketing the cityscape in bronze and gold light. Sweat dripped down Duvaine's face, her back, her neck; it wasn't from the sun.

The hood shadowing her face wasn't enough to hide her abnormal color from the crowd. She caught people staring at her, not even trying to hide the fact. Her skin burned with the sensation of darkness; it crawled along her scalp and pricked her nose as the last bits of white pallor faded away into ink. It stung across her cheeks, filling her mouth and staining her tongue. Her heartbeat was slowing, her chest aching, her limbs growing heavy. She stumbled hard, knowing the end was drawing near.

"We need to get you to the spirit spring." Link huffed. It took Duvaine a moment to recognize his tone. He was frantic. He wasn't blind, he knew what was happening.

"It's too late." Duvaine mumbled as he tried to tug her up again.

"No it's not. Stop―"

"It's too late." The words were a broken sob as a tendril of fire wrapped around her chest and squeezed. Hunger tore at her throat but not the kind she was accustomed to; her body was drawing in the emotions of those around her. They were sparks of light, brimming with energy.

"It's too late!" She gasped again, trying to pry herself loose from Link's grip. She had to get away from him. Away from these people while she still held her mind. It was only a matter of time; she could feel herself slipping. Link's anger wasn't helping. His emotions were the most powerful, and the closest, it physically pained Duvaine to refrain from feeding off of them.

"Link let go of me." She whimpered in fear of her own desire. There was no way she could let that happen.

"You can't even walk." He growled, irritated now.

"Let me go!" She cried, pulling harder against him. He was making her desperate.

"Duvaine, please―"

"I'm going to hurt you if you don't let go of me." She hissed. The longer she stood, the weaker her willpower became. It wasn't going to stop until Link was nothing but a lifeless corpse.

 _But…_ A voice in her mind whispered, _if you do, then you'll be cured._

"We're almost there Duvaine. Wait." He begged. "I'm not going to let you die―"

"If you die so will I!" She barked in fear as she pushed the temptation away. Her emotions were changing, feeding off of his animosity. "Let go! Let me go!"

Her fists were harmless as they bounced off his chest. He seemed more surprised than affected as he caught her wrists tightly.

 _He is the only one who must die by your hand._

"I won't let you do this!" She hissed at the darkness, Link's grip turned harder.

"Is there a problem here miss?" A deep voice interrupted.

They froze, Duvaine hadn't realized how many people had gathered to gawk at them. The street was still loud and bustling, but most of the people near them were staring at Link in shock. Among them, four soldiers stood with their spears gripped tightly. The man that spoke towered over Duvaine and Link, his eyes glared accusingly at the latter.

"Help me! He won't let me go!" Duvaine bawled, Link's gaze whipped towards her, appalled. His eyes were full of emotion, they struck Duvaine harder with eye contact. Betrayal pinched Duvaine's chest for the second time that day, she cried out in pain as her legs trembled beneath her and Link's hurt crippled her mind. "Let go!" She begged again.

"Let her go." The soldier threatened, the people around the square were quiet.

"We're leaving. Let us through." Link tore his electric gaze away from Duvaine's frightened eyes as he gently hefted her back to her feet. She gasped, feeling free from his raging emotions.

 _He's not going to back down._ Duvaine screamed at herself. Link's closeness was making it hard to focus on anything as his emotions continued to envelope her in a tempting embrace of anger, hurt, and determination.

It was shattered by the most lust filled mind she had the displeasure of recognizing.

Somebody was elbowing through the murmuring crowd, until a slightly drunk man stumbled to the front. A large victorious grin settled on the man's face; Duvaine shivered when she recognized him. She could feel his intrusive touch still lingering on her skin as he stumbled closer.

Link turned towards him a moment too late.

"This is the one!" The man slurred loudly as he reached forwards to pull off Duvaine's hood. "The one I was tellin' ya about!" He shouted at the guard.

Her hood slipped off her head, the bum pulling some of her hair with it. Duvaine cried out in pain, and Link swung around so fast, she didn't have time to blink. The man was on the ground, holding his cheek in surprise. It was too late, the damage was done. The crowd gasped as they caught sight of Duvaine's features. Somebody even screamed, before sprinting towards the center of the city.

 _Monster._ They whispered. _Beast? Demon!_

Link turned to her again, trying to protect her from their stares as he quickly helped her pull her hood back up. The soldier was hesitant now as he tried to scrutinize Duvaine's face. She could feel his suspicion fluctuate through her fingertips.

"Let us through―" Link began again, but he was cut short.

The drunk pervert was up again, and now he had a knife. He yanked Link's head back by the hair, exposing his neck. Duvaine fell to ground hard as Link let go, trying to get her away from the murderous man. The knife came down, threatening to draw a line across the Hero's skin.

"No!" Duvaine howled, the man's hands froze. She let it in, could feel his emotions one by one as she plucked through them almost leisurely. The hand holding the knife began to shake, then tremble until the weapon clattered down to the cobblestones. The man fell to his knees as his eyes became vacant. Duvaine tilted her head as hot fury settled deep in the pit of her stomach. She could feel the energy gathering in her eyes, and it must have shown.

The crowd panicked, scattering into different directions as they tried to get away.

"Duvaine―" Link started, but Duvaine ignored him as all sense was drained from her.

"The world will not miss one less vagrant." Duvaine spit as the man picked up the fallen dagger and thrust it deep into his own heart. The light slowly drained from his eyes as his emotions fled into Duvaine's body. Her senses became sharp, everything seemed clearer, every emotion brighter.

It was enough to bring back her conscious, to feel Link's horror at her action.

"Seize her!" The soldiers shouted as they sprang forwards.

Link drew his sword, and Duvaine blinked as she watched the pervert's blood leak onto the cobblestones.

 _Link._ She thought as he stepped between her and the soldiers. He was horrified, and yet he would still protect her despite it. She couldn't let him get hurt. She gripped his shoulder tightly, leaning towards him and whispering into his ear.

"Sleep."

"Are you insane―?"

"Sleep." She insisted, thrusting the feeling upon him.

His eyelids dropped and his legs became limp beneath him. Duvaine braced her legs and barely caught him. He was heavy! The soldiers were closing in around them, and Duvaine couldn't help the protective embrace she held Link with.

"Demon." One hissed in fury. She didn't see the hilt coming, only felt it crack against her skull.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

It was absolutely freezing. Duvaine's head was pounding in agony as her senses slowly woke up.

She could hear footsteps, but that didn't make any sense. There were no emotions near her, how could she hear them but not sense them? She shivered as she peeled open tear crusted eyelids.

Her arms were stiff, cuffed tightly to the cold wall behind her. There was a strange light bubbled around her, suffocating her, making her senses feel dulled and muted. Fear clenched her heart as her eyes opened wide.

Her father was standing there, outside the bars of her cage.

 _A cell._ She corrected bitterly. Duvaine's breath caught in her throat. She was dreaming, she had to be dreaming.

There was a woman with him, hair of gold and wise eyes that didn't match her youth. The long elegant gown and primly straightened hair told Duvaine exactly who she was: Princess Zelda.

Their lips were moving, but Duvaine couldn't hear them. She blinked a few times, waiting for them to disappear back into her imagination. When they didn't, her heart began to pound even harder and her breathing became shallow and pained.

"Where am I?" She sobbed, struggling against the metal wall holding her in place. It didn't budge. "Father?!"

They glanced at her, but continued on as if she weren't more than an annoying breeze.

A white hot anger flared through Duvaine, she grit her teeth and lashed out. She could feel the darkness curl up in her eyes as she released a burst of dark energy. She yearned to see her father writhing on the ground, twisting in the pain and suffering he had caused her for years—

The energy ran into the barrier, halting in a collision of dark and light before dissolving into nothing.

Duvaine was speechless as she watched the anger disappear with it. _That anger wasn't me._ She whimpered. Both sets of eyes turned back to her, the Princess looked wary. That's when Duvaine realized she _still_ couldn't feel them.

She couldn't feel either of their emotions.

"Let me out!" She gasped, struggling once more. Panic was filling her chest, a scream of fright slowly building.

The light was constricting, trapping her in place.

"No, no, no, no, no!" She was hyperventilating. "This isn't my fault. I can control it. I can control it. I can control it. Just please let me out!"

Her father didn't glance at her as he spoke with that uncaring expression she had always loathed.

"Once!" Duvaine shrieked at him, sure he couldn't hear her anyway. "Just this once show me you care about me at all!"

He didn't reply, didn't even acknowledge her presence.

"You're the one that did this to me!" She shouted angrily, snarling. Duvaine remembered Link's anger, his ferocity, his determination. Duvaine wanted to be that. "It's your fault I'm this way _father!_ " She sneered, feeling as if a weight was lifting from her shoulders with each angry word.

To her disappointment, neither of them reacted. They only stood watching her for a moment more before turning to leave. Duvaine watched through tear filled eyes as Princess Zelda gave her a hard look.

"Don't believe anything he tells you!" Duvaine shouted as the tears leaked free. "Don't listen to him! Please! I beg you! He will only hurt you!"

They left her alone there, only a torch for company as her sobs filled the empty shadows.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Duvaine must have fallen asleep, but she had no real way of knowing. She could only be sure of a few things, and none of them were very good.

First, she was being kept in Hyrule Castle's dungeon.

Second, her father was here and he was going to take her back to Elohn. What he would do to her when they arrived, she didn't want to know.

Third, she had lost Link, and had no idea where he was or if he was alright.

Duvaine worried about him more than anything else. For hours (at least she thought it was hours), she thought about him. It tore her chest open, not knowing. How could she do that to him? Drag him into such a mess then take away his power to do anything about it. In the moment she had just been afraid for his safety, now she wasn't so sure if it had been the right thing to put him to sleep.

How she agonized, she didn't really notice the guards that walked by every few minutes. They eyed her openly, gripping their weapons a little tighter as the light surrounding her reflected off their armor.

How long would she sit there? Would they knock her out before her father took her away? She supposed they would do something, they couldn't expect her not to fight back, could they?

Duvaine had had a taste of freedom, and now that she had experienced it… She wasn't going to give it up. She refused to go back to that country of misogyny. She had been a slave her entire life, fulfilling the wishes of pig hearted men who didn't think once about her own wishes.

Women in Elohn were treated like animals, bitches to take when craved for, servants to order and obey, girls to take advantage of and sell like cattle. Fovi being royalty, and Duvaine being a demon, had never had to suffer some of the things their female citizens had to face everyday. Prostitution and rape were ravaging the inner cities and outlying towns.

Duvaine would not go back to that, knowing she was there and could do nothing about it. If she was going to return, it would be on her own terms, with the intention of freeing those she had left behind.

One of the guards halted outside her cell, catching her attention. He opened the door without saying a word, and held it open. A tall figure dressed in a dark cloak appeared from around the corner, murmuring in the man's ear before sending him away with a wave.

Duvaine rose her head high, trying to seem confident like Link or Fovi would. The woman came closer, holding her hand towards the barrier. It was Princess Zelda, her eyes as sharp as a knife as she narrowed them. Duvaine couldn't help but jump in surprise when she heard the woman's voice loud and clear.

"I have the right to speak with you before they take you away. I want you to know I will not let you stand for your crimes against my kingdom." The voice was soft, and full of loathing. It was strange, speaking to somebody without their emotions crawling through her head at the same time.

"What would those be?" Duvaine hissed, glaring. The impulse reply was not her own, only fueled by the darkness coursing through her veins.

"Forcing my kingdom on the verge of war with yours. Manipulating the Hero of Twilight into your puppet and sentencing him to death in the process." Her words made Duvaine's blood freeze and bite back a cutting response.

"L-Link?" She whispered, shaking her head. "No! Why!"

"Your King has commanded that your accomplices be executed. You've only brought this upon yourself _Your Highness."_ Princess Zelda's expression was full of hate, Duvaine didn't need to read her mind to see that.

"W-wait—" Duvaine gasped, trying to control the sudden fury and horror coursing through her veins.

"You will pay for this." Zelda threatened, before taking her hand away from the barrier. Duvaine screamed, catching the glinting glow of the triforce on Zelda's hand.

"You don't understand!" She screamed, "It's not true! He wants Fovi dead! He wants Fovi, not Link!"

Princess Zelda was not listening, she was walking away with a fiery determination in her step.

Link would be executed. _NO!_

Every fiber of Duvaine's being shook with unimaginable pain at the very thought. A world without Link? How could Zelda allow this? Duvaine would sooner go to war than allow them to kill Link. She would sooner die herself before she let that happen.

 _I'm not strong enough._ She thought bitterly. _I killed him. No matter what, I'm the reason why he will die._

Madame Fanadi had said as much hadn't she? That Duvaine would be the death of him? It had been true, Duvaine was going to be the cause of his death, all because she wasn't strong enough.

 _It won't be that easy._ She spit.

Duvaine gathered every ounce of power in her little body and heaved against the confines of her captivity. The sphere of light began to bend as Duvaine pushed all of her emotions against it. For only a moment, she didn't try to hold the darkness back. That little second was all it took to tear a gaping hole in the barrier. It expanded and grew until the light shattered across the floor, leaving yellow shards scattered in its wake. Duvaine regained her hold of the darkness, but not without an unimaginable pain flourishing across her chest.

The wind was knocked from her body, but she did her best to sit up straight as she looked back into the eyes of the horrified Princess Zelda. The guard was there beside her, pointing his spear in Duvaine's direction. She was highly aware of their presences, she could feel their emotions perfectly clear and the energy humming behind them.

"They're lying to you!" Duvaine hissed, slumping forwards again from exhaustion. "I am not the princess." Duvaine huffed, Princess Zelda growled at her in disbelief.

"Do not—"

"I'm not trying to save myself." Duvaine begged. "I'm trying to save Link. He hasn't done anything! He helped me before he even knew who— what I was. I am Princess Fovi's bodyguard and my father wants her dead."

It was the only logical explanation. Link was stuck in Fovi's crosshairs because they had guessed Duvaine would be with her.

"The man from your kingdom has already confirmed you as the Princess, I will not listen to your lies—"

"Don't you dare throw Link's life away!" Duvaine howled at her. "He would give up his life for this kingdom. I will not let him die in vain for it!"

Zelda turned back towards her with surprise, she was uncertain and Duvaine was going to exploit it.

"Fovi is the rightful ruler of our throne, who sits on it now?" She asked, trying to make her voice softer― something she had never had to do before.

Zelda hesitated, then ushered the guard to lower his weapon. "It is the late King's brother and former general."

"The General?" Duvaine thought, picturing the man's long beard and pointed nose. His flaming red hair was obviously royal family blood, even if he was a bastard of the last King. "He is a bastard. Fovi is the rightful heir."

Zelda raised a brow. "You deny being the princess when the King's ambassador has already confirmed—"

" _Ambassador?_ " Duvaine scoffed. "That is my father Zara. He is a scientist. He is the one that turned me into _this._ "

Zelda didn't look convinced, and Duvaine's chest twinged.

"I can prove it. Please, come here and touch my face. You'll see." Duvaine begged.

"Your ambassador has advised nobody to touch you, least of all a Queen." Zelda snipped, turning her back on Duvaine.

"He didn't want you to speak with me did he?" Duvaine guessed. "This is why. _Please!_ I only want to save Link. I—" She bit her lip.

Zelda turned back towards her. "You love him."

Duvaine lowered her gaze, not giving a reply. She heard a sigh, then soft footsteps.

Slowly, Zelda came closer. The guard followed closely behind with his spear gripped tightly.

"Be careful Highness." He muttered, looking between them uneasily.

Duvaine noticed herself in the reflection of his armor. Her hood was gone, and long black locks of hair fell at her sides. Her eyes and skin were a sultry black, inking away all of the paleness she had become so used to. And her eyes… no wonder they acted so terrified of her. The whites of her eyes were gone, leaving behind a black the color of midnight.

Her eyes snapped back to Zelda's as a new presence piqued at the edge of her senses. "Hurry, my father is coming. He cannot know you spoke to me."

Zelda flinched, and Duvaine felt soft fingers caress her cheek.

XXX

 _She was a little girl, standing alone beside her mother's casket. Zelda had loved her mother very much. She didn't understand why she couldn't see her again. They wouldn't tell her why. They wouldn't tell her anything, except she needed to be strong…_

 _XXX_

 _It was the day she was to be crowned. All of her subjects would be there. A celebration would follow. Zelda didn't understand why they were celebrating. She was only sixteen, the advisers that had been ruling would continue to rule. Zelda was no fool, she knew she was only their puppet..._

 _XXX_

" _Did I stutter?" Zelda asked as she glared up at the councilman. The man that opposed her was taller than her, but she was not intimidated._

" _Your Highness, you look exhausted. I only ask that you go lie down and rest before you make any rash decisions_ —"

" _Rash decisions? Trust me adviser, this is not rash. I've been thinking it through for quite a while now. You, and the other members of the council are dismissed from your duties." She told him steadily._

 _She thought his head may explode from all the different colors it was suddenly turning._

" _Y-you_ — _You c-can't just_ —" _He stuttered furiously, a few other council members leaped to their feet in fury. "We have been advising the royal family for decades!" He howled, Zelda half expected him to shake a fist at her. "You cannot simply ask us to leave_ —"

" _But I did. And I am. Maybe if my mother had done this, she wouldn't be dead. Don't you agree councilman? Take them." Zelda nodded towards her guards, watching them wrestle a few unruly council members to the ground before taking them away._

 _She would appoint her own advisers, and she would not be pushed around ever again._

 _XXX_

 _She had known Midna from afar. But she had not expected her to fall._

 _Zelda watched helplessly as her kingdom succumbed to Twilight. The worst part of it all, was not being affected the same way as her citizens. The agony of watching her people turn to spirits was unimaginable. She had never known a greater pain._

 _Then she had met Link. A blue eyed beast. She could see it in his eyes he felt her pain, he understood the way Zelda was hurting. Even as a beast, he was the most compassionate man she had ever met._

 _XXX_

" _What will you do?" Zelda asked. Midna turned towards her uncertainly. She had regained her true form, but she was still the same Midna that Zelda had come to know._

" _I will go back." She cadenced in her Twili crescendo. "But you have not seen the last of me Princess." She giggled and fluttered her eyes in Link's direction. They were trekking through the desert, on their way back to the Mirror of Twilight._

" _You wish for the mirror to stay open?" Zelda asked._

" _I don't want it used to rid yourselves of criminals anymore, if that's what you're asking. Our worlds should know one another, learn to coexist…" Midna's voice faded when she caught the look on Zelda's face._

" _Our worlds cannot meet Midna. You should know that. You've seen what happened, we both almost lost our lives because of it. What if it were to happen again? What if there's nobody to stop it next time?" Zelda asked her. "Do you want that to happen to Link? Or his family?"_

 _Midna looked thoughtful, and her face became sullen the further north they traveled. She didn't say another word to Zelda until they reached the mirror._

 _XXX_

" _...See you later…" She whispered as she sent her teardrop crashing into the glass._

 _Zelda and Link stood horror struck as they watched it disappear. The shards flew into the wind and disappeared into the sand. Zelda stood in awe; Link fell to his knees beside her._

 _It was an awful thing, to watch somebody fall apart from the inside out. But she watched as Link came loose at the seams. She listened to his cry of anger and pain and his demands for an answer, an explanation that would never come._

Why? How? Why? _He demanded over and over._

 _Why? Zelda knew why. Zelda knew the answer._

 _XXX_

Breaking away from Zelda's memories was like breaking the surface of a pond after being submerged for far too long. Duvaine gasped for air. Each breath was ragged and painful as she tried to sort her own thoughts from the memories and vice versa.

 _It was her fault._ Duvaine thought in horror. _Zelda is the reason Midna made that decision._

Duvaine coughed wretchedly as Zelda staggered backwards, the guard holding her up with a gentle grip.

"Farore." Zelda whispered as they heard the dungeon door open and close loudly.

Duvaine watched in horror as Zelda seemed to compose herself, and lift her palm at Duvaine's head.

"Wait—" She tried, but it was too late. The light spilled from Zelda's palm, cascading and falling like water until it was surrounding Duvaine in an identical sphere of light. Everything became muffled again; she couldn't feel their emotions any longer.

"No!" She screamed, tears and sobs wrenching from her throat. "Don't do this! Please! Save Link!"

They didn't react any further as Duvaine shouted and pleaded and screamed until her throat was sore. Sobs shook her frame, making her arms hurt from the strain.

"Don't hurt Link _please!"_ She shouted again, repeating it over and over until the words felt like a part of her.

Zelda was gone, as was the guard. There was only one figure outside her cage now, glaring in at her through the bars.

"Father…" She sobbed, turning her head away and hiding behind a curtain of black hair. "What did I do to deserve your hate? Please tell me. I just want to be left alone."

 _With Link._

As long as she was with Link, it would be alright. His words echoed in her mind like a gentle caress.

 _You're safe with me._

But he wasn't safe with her, and she wouldn't forgive herself if he died because of her. It was so wrong, she was going be sick.

After a while of watching her fall apart, her father left. She was glad, she didn't want him there looking at her as if she were an animal in captivity meant to be gawked at. She had had enough of that in childhood.

She wasn't sure how long she sat in the dark crying, until she finally fell asleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Wake up." A voice whispered in her ear.

Duvaine started awake as somebody began to fumble with the chains around her wrists and arms.

"Wha—?!"

 _Link!?_ Her heart soared, then crashed when a wrinkly hand clapped over her mouth. "Be silent."

 _Uma?_

"B-but—" Duvaine stuttered.

"Stupid girl. I warned you didn't I?" Uma scolded her. "I can reseal you. But it will not last long. As soon as Din's rays touch you, it will break again."

"Reseal?" Duvaine mumbled, hanging her head. What did it matter anyway? She was going to die down here. Duvaine couldn't feel her limbs anymore, it hurt to breath. She was trapped inside her own crippled body.

"It will take the last of my energy. I will not visit you again." Uma told her solemnly. "You are my only hope child, you must break the curse. Who knows what will happen if you do not."

"Uma wait—" Duvaine's mind was reeling.

"Your father is trying to release him, he thinks my love can be controlled. Nobody can control him, not even I could. That is why I sealed him away. If you do not break the curse, we are all doomed." Uma told her, catching Duvaine as the buckle released her right arm.

Uma held her tightly as she released Duvaine's other arm. The old woman carefully settled Duvaine against the wall. When that was finished, she pressed her forehead against Duvaine's gently. Duvaine wasn't coherent enough to notice, her breathing was more shallow than before.

"I believe in you child. You are our only hope." Uma whispered. She shoved something hard into Duvaine's hand.

"I can't—" Duvaine whimpered, feeling weaker and weaker by the second. "Uma I can't—"

"You can." Uma whispered, holding Duvaine tightly. "You are a beautiful young woman, and you will find your way. Go with my blessing."

Duvaine winced as something bright hurt her eyes. Cracking her eyelids open just a smidge, she could see Uma's body glowing brighter and brighter with each heartbeat. The brighter Uma's figure became, the stronger Duvaine felt. She could feel the darkness leaving her body slowly, becoming smaller and smaller. She watched the blackness drain from her fingertips, leaving behind the familiar light pallor of her skin.

"Uma— wait!" Duvaine gasped, as the woman began to fade. Duvaine could see the opposite wall through her form; she reached towards her, only to grip air. "Who are you? What am I supposed to do? How do I get out of here?"

"You have my blessing. Use it child. Stop being afraid of it, _use it_." Uma smiled at her, before fading completely.

"No!" Duvaine cried, then froze as she waited for a guard to investigate. None came, none at all.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, threatening to break through her ribs. Her hair fell over her face, and she tugged at the strands in shock. They were white as snow, exactly how they should be.

 _As soon as Din's rays touch you, it will break again._

Duvaine scrambled to her feet, grasping the wall to keep herself from falling. She threw her senses out into the air, like a cool breeze flying along the corridors. It only took a moment for her to find the torrential mind she had been looking for.

 _Link._ She thought, gripping the bars between unsteady fingers. _We need to get out of here._

Then she realized she was still gripping whatever Uma had given her. It was a key! With fumbling fingers, Duvaine unlocked the door and stumbled into the hallway. It was dirty and cold, just like her cell.

She could sense a guard coming down the corridor, before she could even see him she pounced on his mind. Uma had been right, if she was going to save Link and get them out of here she needed to trust herself.

His mind wasn't very active, and that made it easy to twist it into what she wanted. He was almost too easy to manipulate; she stuffed his mind full of sympathy and pity. His eyes were glazed over when he finally came into view. It was easy to let the tears slide slowly down her face.

"Please." She begged him. "I need to find the Hero of Twilight. Won't you help me?"

He blinked a few times, then his expression softened as Duvaine pushed agaisnt his conscious harder.

"Of course." He smiled sadly, and turned in the opposite direction.

Duvaine followed closely behind the man, being sure to keep her hold around his mind firm. Her skin prickled as she felt more emotions swirling around her. She had missed the ability to shut them out like this, it was painless.

They took some stairs deeper down, a few twists and turns. Every time they passed another guard, Duvaine clouded his mind with trust and relaxation. They didn't bat an eye at her.

Finally the guard halted in front of a cell; Duvaine ran right into his back. He didn't move as he looked into the cell. She could feel his emotions suddenly changing from pity to irritation.

"Come back for more?" A voice snarled from a dark corner of the cell.

"You act tough for a guy in chains." The guard snipped back. Duvaine shivered as she felt her ties to the guard's mind loosen.

LInk's angry curse was enough to make the hairs on Duvaine's neck stand on end. Her eyes adjusted, and she could just make him out at the back of the cell. He was chained hand and foot, both pulled tightly against the wall. Anger spilled from Duvaine's chest at the sight.

Link seemed to freeze, then his eyes landed on her silently. With a twitch of her fingers, the guard walked closer to the wall, and hit his head against it, hard. He fell to the ground with a crash, unconscious.

"Duvaine?" Link asked quietly, hopefully.

"Yes." She whispered, fumbling with the door's lock. "This key isn't working." She whimpered, straining to turn it.

"That guard has a key on him. It's the silver one with gold on the end of it." Link told her, the anger all but gone from his voice. "How did you get out?" He demanded.

Duvaine couldn't answer as she drew the key off the unconscious man's belt. Her fingers were trembling in fright; she willed them to be still.

This time, the door swung open. She rushed to Link's side and gripped her arms around his neck tightly for a moment. He didn't say anything, only humming slightly into her neck. Not wasting another second, Duvaine fumbled for the locks around his hands.

"How did you get out?" He asked again, quieter than before.

"Uma." She said simply; this earned his confusion.

"Who?"

"I'll explain later." She pressed, successfully unlocking the cuffs.

"Your hair is light again." He murmured.

"Not for long." She told him. "Once I'm in the sun, I'll be right back to how I was. Then I'll be useless again."

"You're never useless." He told her quietly. He took the key from her trembling fingers and unlocked his feet.

"I'm sorry Link." Her voice trembled in the dark. "I shouldn't have done that to you. Any of it. I'm so sorry."

"It's alright." He whispered back, voice soft. "None of this is your fault."

"I wish I could believe you." Her voice cracked, but he was silent. He stood quickly, and they moved into the hallway. The torches lightened his features; Duvaine stifled a gasp. "Are you bleeding?" She demanded.

There was dried blood on his face, dripping from his nose. It was dry on his neck and chin too. That same hot anger as before crept into her stomach.

"Don't worry about it. Let's get out of here." He told her, stepping over the guard's sleeping form. "It won't be long until they discover we're missing."

Duvaine didn't have the energy to argue anymore. Link's warm hand wrapped around hers tightly, tugging her along the dimly lit hall.

Her senses were back to normal… or at least as normal as they had been before the curse mark was eating away at her skin. The emotions of those in the castle were muted, but she couldn't sense Castle Town's population anymore. Every person was like a small whisper in her ear, only becoming clear when she focused on it.

"There's a guard ahead." Duvaine whispered, then paused. "He won't bother us." It was almost too easy to manipulate them.

"This way." Link murmured as they tore around the corner.

Duvaine was breathing hard trying to keep up with him. They stopped in front of a room, door closed tight. Link was at the lock for only a second before it swung open. He was only inside for a moment before reappearing with his bag of tools. The next thing she knew, Link was ushering her down the hall again.

"Almost there." He told her. "That door ahead will take us into the tunnels again. From there, we just have to make it outside the walls."

Just like that, they were free.

The coldness of the tunnels, once again, seeped deeply into Duvaine's clothes making her teeth chatter. A cold sweat dripped down her pale face, turning to ice on her skin. After several minutes of running, they could see it.

It was just a little light at the end of the tunnel. Duvaine felt her spirits climb as they came closer. Moonlight was reflecting off the water and casting an eerie glow on the tunnel walls. The night air was crisp as they finally reached the bars protecting the castle from those trying to get in… or out.

"How—?" Duvaine asked, feeling the sturdiness of the iron.

Before she could say much else, Link was straining against bars. Duvaine watched with wide eyes as he bent them apart with his bare hands, just enough for them to squeeze through. It was tight, but they managed without too much effort.

Link was breathing hard as he gripped her hand and helped her wade through the water. She wasn't sure of exactly where they were, but the castle was a looming shadow behind them. The few sparks of emotion she could feel faded away as they gained more and more distance from it.

"We just need to get across the bridge—" Link began, then his head whipped towards the path adjacent to them. He muttered a curse before pulling Duvaine even faster. Her eyes followed his gaze, there were soldiers sprinting down the path; they weren't Hyrule soldiers.

"Those are Elohn soldiers!" Duvaine gasped as they plunged down a rocky path. She could hear pounding boots behind them.

Their emotions flickered to life on the edge of her senses. They were too far to manipulate, but they were slowly getting closer.

"Link!" She called. "I think I can—"

She was interrupted by a blossom of pain. Duvaine stumbled hard into the dirt as agony arced through her right leg. She glanced backwards with a mangled cry to see an arrow protruding from her body. Behind them, the soldiers pounded closer.

Link scooped her up with a grunt and continued on. A feral growl was emanating from his throat. He pulled the arrow from her skin swiftly, then gripped her leg tightly in a fist. Duvaine cried out, gripping his shoulders in pain and fear. The soldier's blue clothes were bright against the fading moonlight as they slowly gained more and more ground on Link's burdened form.

Despair gripped her chest as Link's anger caused fire in her veins. The bridge entrance loomed over them as Link sprinted beneath it. His footsteps became louder and seemed to echo off the canyon as he attempted to go faster.

"They're getting closer!" Duvaine whimpered, gripping his shoulders harder.

They came to a sudden stop, Duvaine's head bobbed and her hair whipped into her face for a moment, blinding her. When the white strands fell away, she could see what had halted him. Link's growl made her skin prickle in fear. She could feel it in his chest as he whipped his head back and forth like a feral animal trying to find a way out of a corner.

There were soldiers at the other end of the bridge, running towards them with their weapons drawn. Duvaine tried to open her mouth to say something, to say anything, but she couldn't. The pain coursing through her leg was burning and Link's grip around it was bruising.

"Trust me." He huffed as he lunged for the edge of the bridge. Duvaine yelped in fear and pain as he scrambled up the edge, carefully pulling her up behind him.

He placed her on unsteady feet beside him; her leg gave out beneath her but Link held her up and pulled a dagger from his hip. The soldiers were closing in, but stopped when they spotted the knife.

"If I can't have its power, nobody can." Link hissed, before tilting them over the edge.

XXXXXXXXXXX

 ** _I'm so sorry you guys. I thought I would give you this extra long chapter for waiting so long. The semester is over so I'll have a little more time for my stories._**

 ** _Thank you for the reviews! I was literally screaming with happiness when I read them. I'm glad you guys are enjoying. :)_**

 ** _I was thinking I could give you guys a little fun fact for the next chapter if I get any reviews, but tbh I probably will anyway. Lol_**

 ** _Until next time… :)_**


	12. Expired

_Sorry for the late update guys! Thanks for the follows and favs! I promise I won't give up on this story, no matter how long my updates take. Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Fun fact at the end. :)_

 **Expired**

Duvaine's stomach surged into her throat; she screamed in horror, knowing they were going to die. The wind filled her ears, blocking out all sounds. Link's callused fingers fumbled for a better grip around her. He held her against his body tightly, clasping her head firmly to his shoulder. Only heartbeats had passed, and it was only a few heartbeats more before they hit the frigid water.

The force of the impact punched the air from Duvaine's lungs. The water suffocated her senses; it burned down her throat and clogged her ears and nose. Link's grip hadn't loosened as he heaved them, in what Duvaine assumed, was up.

Somehow, they managed to break the surface. A torrent of water poured painfully from Duvaine's throat as she coughed and spit feebly; her lungs were on fire. She sobbed as she scrambled to latch onto Link's chest, afraid of going under again.

"Woah! Hold on—" He warned as she clutched at his neck, but it was too late. Duvaine dunked them both under the water in her panic to keep herself afloat. Her body trembled in fear, especially when Link abruptly disappeared from her grip. Panic blinded her as she kicked out, trying to find him again _._

 _No!_ She wailed, her lungs screaming as she drifted. _No!_ She couldn't lose him!

Arms wrapped around her from behind, locking her own arms against her sides. The image of a carnivorous monster residing in the lake unreasonably burned her mind. Duvaine struggled against the arms, terrified. Again, her head broke the surface. A high pitched scream of terror burst from her sore lungs. A large hand clamped over her mouth. A gruff familiar voice was warm against her ear, instantly relieving her tension.

"Calm down!" Link commanded. "Be still."

She did; her breathing halted in anticipation, then she realized they weren't drowning. Her fingers dug into his arm, her heart rate already decelerating as he clutched her to his chest. Duvaine focused on his heartbeat, his breaths, and tried to match them. She felt like a dead weight in the water, it was cold and uninviting. Her leg burned from the wound there, needles stabbed at her skin mercilessly. She whimpered.

"Link— I can't swim." She finally croaked. He actually had the nerve to chuckle.

"I know." He answered, "But I can. Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do." She answered too quickly; he chuckled under his breath again.

"Good. We need to get to the shore before they come searching for us." He began to tow her in. The cold drove deeper and deeper into Duvaine's bones with each stroke. By the time they reached the shore, she was fairly certain she had lost all her toes.

They dragged themselves out of the water sluggishly, both exhausted from the night's endeavors. Duvaine clutched her arms fruitlessly, trying to warm herself in the chilly night air despite the water dripping from her heavy clothes.

Before she could say anything, Link was squating beside her. His fingers were gentle on her skin as he traced the wound still bleeding profusely. Duvaine whimpered in pain, laying back so she wouldn't have to see.

"It's pretty deep." Link groaned quietly. Duvaine didn't reply, hugging her torso instead.

"It hurts." She blubbered, trying to keep the moans of pain to a minimum. Her leg was burning from the inside out.

"Can I―" Link's voice distracted her for a second. He was gesturing towards her leg. Duvaine nodded numbly and his fingers went back to work.

She squeezed her eyes shut tightly as he worked. His hands were gentle as they worked over the ruined skin. Duvaine inhaled sharply when he began to wrap it. She didn't hide it well enough, he paused, waited a moment, then kept going. Every time she did so, every time she ground her teeth together, he paused and waited a moment. The bandage he used was soaking wet, just like the rest of their things. There was nothing either of them could do about it.

"Did you ever speak to Zelda about the village?" The thought crossed her mind as she plopped down to the grass. It _was_ the whole reason Link had come to Castle Town in the first place.

"I did." He replied, plopping down beside her. "She told me you would come find me, and assured me she would send troops to Ordon."

They lay out on the soft grass just past the shore. The entrance to the spirit spring was several strides away; Link didn't seem to be in any hurry as he caught his breath. Duvaine closed her eyes, letting relief wash over her with the hard ground beneath her. She did her best to ignore the pain.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Any time." He replied; she could hear the small smile in his voice.

"For more than this." She gestured to the both of them. A cough gave her pause, needles still poking the inside of her chest. "I mean all of it. You've done more than enough. Even when you knew I lied… I don't understand any of it Link. I don't understand why you're still here." The last words were whispered, as if afraid he would see her logic.

"Why would I leave you now?" He asked, clearly offended. He tilted his head towards her; Duvaine refused to look back as shame burned her ears.

"You know perfectly well why you should. Did you not see what I did? To that man? The one in market? Do you even understand what I _really_ am?" She asked quietly, closing her eyes and holding her breath.

Silence stretched over them; despite her words of warning Duvaine wanted to move closer to him. She was freezing and he was warm.

He sat up sharply with a huff. "Duvaine, I know why you lied to me. Madame Fanadi showed me everything else. I know how you escaped, I know how you got to Ordon. I know who you are."

"A monster." She hissed, sitting up and looking down at her pale skin. "And I always will be."

"That's just a label they gave you because they didn't want to take the time to understand." His voice was quiet, yet hard as steel. "You aren't who they say. You are who you want to be."

She blinked as fresh tears threatened to spill down her face. "Link…" She breathed, her heart suddenly pounding in her chest. "I wish you hadn't found me in those woods, then I wouldn't have to be afraid of hurting you." Her voice was small.

He ground his teeth together, she could hear it. His hurt filled her atmosphere, she blinked.

"Oh Link, I only say that because I— I care for you." She found her courage and scooted closer to him. The sky was lightening, so she could easily make out the curve of his face. With a shaky hand, she cupped his warm cheek in her palm.

His eyes flashed to hers, the hurt fading. He clasped her hand against him when she pulled away, closing his eyes and pulling her into a hug. He was warm, so warm. Duvaine melted into him with a sigh.

They sat quietly for a long moment, just happy to feel each other's warmth.

"Who is Uma?" He asked against her sodden hair.

"She's mine and Fovi's nanny. But I think she may be somebody else…" Duvaine said thoughtfully, shivering from a slight breeze.

"Somebody else? What do you mean?" He asked.

"There's an old nursery story that's popular in Elohn. It's about a lesser goddess who fell in love with a mortal. Din cursed the mortal to teach Pathraza a lesson. I think…" She paused, realizing how rediculous she sounded.

"You think Uma is a part of that story?" Link asked, he didn't seem skeptical.

"She must be. It only makes sense… But I don't understand." She moaned, gritting her teeth from a sudden burst of discomfort. "I'm done lying to you Link. I haven't been honest with you from the beginning, I'm sorry." Her voice trembled, she buried her face deeper into his tunic.

"I haven't been completely honest with you either." His chest vibrated against her nose, she squeezed her eyes shut tighter.

"That's alright," She hummed. "You don't need to be."

He continued anyway, Duvaine's brow furrowed. "I knew you before the children found you."

"W-what do you mean?" She whispered, clutching him tighter, afraid he would let go.

"I kept having strange dreams." He finally whispered against her ear, "I was surrounded by darkness. I always knew it was just my own anger. It would wrap around me and smother me until I didn't I would ever feel anything else ever again. Then _she_ would appear, she would look at me for a long time with a sad smile on her face. I would yell at her. I would tell her to go away, yet... she somehow always knew I was bluffing. She knew I was afraid."

Duvaine inhaled sharply, becoming still against him. He froze too, as if afraid she would push him away.

"She would whisper something to me softly, she told me she could fix it. She could fix all the pain and the anger. Her hair was longer than any I had seen, white as snow. Her face was almost as pale, and her eyes made me think she was a ghost."

Duvaine began to tremble, hearing him describe her out loud made her want to vomit. She wasn't natural―

"But she wasn't a ghost, she was a blessing. She ripped the chains away and would suffer through the pain so I wouldn't have to." His grip on her tightened slightly. "I would watch my darkness drag her away from me, and no matter what I did I could never get her back." His voice was bitter and furious.

Duvaine was still, finally after too long, she found her voice. "It was me?" She whispered. It made sense now, the way he had looked at her when she had woken in his home. He had been expecting something, what Duvaine hadn't a clue.

"I was more than a little surprised when I found you. I almost thought you would recognize me too." He laughed at himself, the sound resonating against Duvaine's ear. "But you just screamed and ran away."

Duvaine couldn't help a small huff of amusement. She remembered clearly, being blinded by how attractive he was, then being terrified he was going to kill her.

"I thought you were going to try and kill me." She admitted. "I had been running for two weeks by myself, I was scared."

He hugged her tighter, burying his face into her neck. "Never." He whispered into her hair. Something swelled deep inside Duvaine's chest. What could this possible mean? She had only felt something similar with Fovi; this love she felt for Link went much much deeper than that though. It was as if her entire being were drawn towards him.

A memory flashed in the back of her mind, the way Anoc had felt for Fovi. That sense of devotion, to love somebody else with all of your being. This is what Duvaine felt for Link. Her heart was melting in her chest, the feeling was overwhelming. It filled her with warmth from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She knew that if she could, her entire face would be afire with blush.

"Link…" She whispered, opening her eyes slightly. The sky was brighter than before. "I— The sky." It all drained away, panic rushing in to replace it, "The sun!"

He pulled away and looked at her in confusion. Understanding crossed his glistening face, then he was pulling her up into his arms.

Duvaine gasped in pain from the jostle. Her arms wrapped around his neck to help him support her. He ran towards the cave, the shade of it even colder than the early morning air. He looked at her with bright eyes, a smile spreading across his pale face.

"We made it!" He grinned.

"We can't stay hidden in here—" Duvaine gasped, sentence cut off as she doubled over in pain.

Agony ripped through her skull and burned down her limbs. The darkness spread across her skin all at once. She watched it sizzle across her hands in a blink. "No!" Her voice turning into a strangled cry.

"Duvaine!" Link shouted, almost dropping her as she writhed. She clenched her eyes shut, trying to dispel the demon taking over her body and soul.

The world was a blur as she became weightless. Link's arms around her felt like smoke. Her skin itched with pain as his emotions swirled around her head. She moaned in agony, trying to ease the fire burning behind her eyes.

 _Not again._ She pleaded silently. _Please let it end._

There was nothing but the pain and the darkness. It pushed against her mind, forcing its way in by sheer force. In a futile effort, Duvaine pushed back. She bit her tongue as the misery surged through her veins. Her body convulsed, her limbs not under her own control. A tormented cry echoed off the cave walls; Duvaine realized after a moment that it was her own.

"Please!" Link called out. "Help!" His voice was shaking, barely under control.

Duvaine's eyes were half lidded, but she felt herself being gently laid on damp earth. A hand cupped her face lightly, fingers fluttered across her face in obvious panic. She tried to open her mouth to say something, but it came out as a pained squeal.

Light shined through her eyelids; she cracked them open to see what was causing it. Her head lulled awkwardly, revealing the largest snake she had ever seen. Her first instinct was to cringe away from it; the fear was lost as the pain of what felt like a knife plunged deep into her skull. Her leg was nothing compared to this agony.

 _Why do bring me thissss demon, chosen one?_ An ancient voice hissed, resonating through Duvaine's bones.

"Please! Help her!" Link begged, the hand on her face disappeared.

 _The bessst way to help her isss to kill her._ The voice was angry. Wrathful anger struck Duvaine in the chest, powerful enough to be noticed even through the torture.

"There has to be a way. Help. Her." Link's voice was murderous.

 _There issss only one way to cure thissss diseasssse she carriesss._ It's voice was slow, thoughtful.

"How?!" Link demanded. Duvaine tried to reach out to him, to calm him. It didn't work as she curled up on herself instead, trying to drive the monster out of her head.

 _Kill the sssource of the cursssse. Only the Hero Chosen by The Goddesses has the power to destroy it completely._

"The source?" Link spat. "What souce—?"

"In Elohn." Duvaine moaned. "Where it began."

"How?!" Link challenged fiercely.

 _She will not sssurvive long enough for you to cleanse Ibo. End her ssssuffering now Chosen one, you are doing her a kindnessssss_ —"

"How!?" He demanded again, his voice brutal.

The deity paused, Duvaine could barely catch the words as her hearing faded. _You mussst pledge to it… your ssssoul._

"No." Duvaine whimpered.

"Yes." He hissed back, his voice broken.

"Please Link." She wept. "You can't— _Please_. I'm going to die anyway…" She whispered, eyes fluttering closed. "I want you to know—" She cried out and clutched her stomach. "You're the first person I ever learned to love." She gasped, letting the words fade on her lips as she uselessly reached for his face. "Don't make it for nothing..."

She could feel the breath leaving her body. From the bottom of her heart, she prayed the spirit would destroy whatever monster rose from her corpse if Link couldn't do it.

"No!" Link shouted, "You aren't going to die!"

His hands squeezed her shoulders tightly, then moved to cup her face again. His emotions ran through her, replaying over and over, only adding to the agony.

"There has to be another way!" Link forced, his voice filled the cave and echoed back at them; his breathing was ragged above her. She could barely hear it as she floated towards the final sleep. Another wail bled from her ruined throat as she clutched her head, pulling on her own hair in a desperation to _get the darkness out._

 _The darknesssss can be moved to another for a short time._

"Do it." Link commanded, his voice as broken as Duvaine felt.

Duvaine knew she was dead, but before she lost all feeling there was a warmth pressed against her lips.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

A woman's high pitched scream filled Duvaine's ears intensely. Blinking her eyes open, she waited wearily while her surroundings came into focus.

The room was small, too small for the comotion within. Chatter filled Duvaine's ears; her gaze skipped around the dim room. It smelled of sweat, piss, and blood. Duvaine had somehow gone unnoticed, her body pressed tightly into one of the corners. The cold from the wall leaked through her shirt and spread across her back.

There was a woman lying on a bed, sweat plastered her hair to her face and pain muddled her features.

Curling her fingers into a tight fist, she dared to move closer. Who was the woman? How had Duvaine gotten here of all places? The last thing she remembered… what _was_ the last thing she remembered?

Inhaling a rugged breath, she tried to look confident as she weaved among the servants. The woman's birth bed was only a step away when somebody ran into her. Duvaine gasped, bracing herself for the impact and sting of landing on the hard stone beneath them. When it didn't come, she pried open her eyes to find the servant disappear through her.

"I— I'm a ghost!" Duvaine gasped in horror. Nobody seemed to hear her. Swallowing down her rising panic, she reached the edge of the woman's bed on unsteady legs. "D―Did I die?" She whispered in fear.

The woman's scream filled the room again; it was more forceful this time, Duvaine covered her ears until it passed.

"Good girl. Once more. Come on now!" One of the servants murmured, holding the soon to be mother's hand fiercely.

Duvaine stared at the woman breathing heavily through her mouth. Tears streamed down her face while sweat glistened across her skin. It was easy to see that she was beautiful, but her auburn hair had lost any luster it may have had and dark bags sank beneath her eyes. Duvaine's brow furrowed deeply; somehow this woman felt familiar.

"Almost there! I see the head!" A woman between her legs encouraged.

Duvaine watched quietly, while the mother struggled to bring her child into the world. Her face was pinched; rigorous tears rolled down her face and one last scream of agony ripped through the tiny room. After what felt like hours, a new kind of cry replaced it.

"That's it!" Somebody shouted. Duvaine's eyes followed the voice; she watched the servant hold up a child. It was still slick from the womb. The women were quick to wipe the child down and wrap it up tightly in a blanket. Even in the light of the lanterns, auburn hair was visible sticking up at impossible angles.

They placed the child in its' mother's arms. Duvaine scrutinized the baby; she had never been so close to an infant before. Its' face was tiny, nose squished and eyebrows molded together. It kept its' eyes firmly shut as it wailed to the heavens, gums gaping and searching. The mother looked at her child with unrequited love, stroking its' face and whispering softly to it. After a moment, it calmed.

"What will you name it?" A servant asked quietly. Most of the servants had already filed out of the room, taking soiled clothes and buckets of water with them.

The mother blinked, looking thoughtful. "Galiel," She smiled. "Because she is my light."

"A beautiful name." The servant replied warmly.

"Thank you Uma." The mother whispered, earning a straight toothed smile in return.

Duvaine gasped, and Uma's gaze flickered to her for only a second before concentrating back on the new mother. This woman couldn't possibly be _Uma_. She was young and beautiful! Her hair was shining and her skin was smooth. She didn't look a day older than twenty summers.

"Uma?" Duvaine asked. "What's happening? Where am I―?"

"I am afraid I won't be there to see her when she's older." The woman choked on a sob, hugging the child tighter. It seemed to pick up on it's mother's distress; it's wail filled the room again, just as heartbroken as the look on her mother's face.

Uma's gaze flickered over Duvaine again, the woman didn't catch it.

"If she were here now…" Uma began softly, "What would you say to her?"

The woman looked down at the child and kissed it on the head sweetly. "I would tell her I love her. I would tell her never to give up and be strong. She is my daughter, nobody else's. H-he can curse her twenty times over, but she will always be _mine_."

Duvaine felt something in her chest twinge. The woman's voice felt so familiar, but how?

"What of her name?" Uma asked quietly. The mother hissed in anger.

"Damn Zara and his names. It doesn't matter what they call her. Galiel. Duvaine. It will not change her being my daughter."

Duvaine's heart stopped in her chest. " _Mother?_ "

"Hush now." Uma whispered, glancing at Duvaine through thick lashes. "I will watch over her. The last of my strength will protect her from the curse. When she is old enough, she will be the one to break it."

"I pray you're right." The woman whispered against the forehead of infant Duvaine. "I pray you're right..."

The room started to fade, Duvaine lunged forwards. "Wait! No!"

XXX

She crashed into darkness, tumbling and falling until finally she was still. She could feel bruises blossoming on her skin. Biting back a whimper, she pushed herself to her feet. Her eyes scoured the darkness, wet with sorrow. It was fruitless; she couldn't see anything.

"Hello?" Her voice was broken. "Is there anybody here? Mother?"

There was no answer, making goosebumps rise on her arms and legs. Before she could decide what to do next, a huge explosion flattened her against the ground. Debris and hot air blew over her in a cloud. Coughing from the dust, she peaked over a rock, not sure what to expect.

"That's it! We did it!" A voice echoed around her, startling her.

Duvaine waited only a second before a man appeared through the smoke holding a torch. She gasped and stumbled backwards, scraping her hands on the hardness of the ground. The man didn't seem to notice her or the noises she made.

It was her father, Zara. Except, he was younger. Much younger. His beard was only light scruff on his young face. His entire body was covered in dust, as if he had been underground for days.

"This is it!" He murmured, his voice echoing across the cavern. Duvaine blinked, finally following his gaze.

There was a great oak tree illuminated by the torch. The cavern was much larger than Duvaine had previously believed. The tree filled the space, even without leaves it's branches filled the enormity of the cavern. The roots were twisted and knotted, black obsidian rock nestled firmly beneath it.

Zara jostled closer to it, his body humming in anticipation. Duvaine moved closer as well, watching in fear as the roots began to glow in the darkness. Zara didn't seem to notice as he shoved the torch between two roots and moved closer to the obsidian nestled there. His fingers dusted off the rock, revealing words in a strange language.

"It's here. It's all here. This is where Ibo was buried." He sighed in delight, pressing his forehead against the cold stone. "We can finally seal it up for good."

Duvaine blinked in surprise. _Seal it?_

He stood after a moment, gazing at the tree with squinted brow. The roots were glowing brighter, then they began to tremble. Duvaine gasped as the mountain shuddered around them. They were thrown to the ground, Duvaine watched in horror as a large root wrapped around Zara's body.

"No!" She shouted, trying to stand. "Don't!"

Another root wrapped around her ankle, trapping her in place. It snaked up her body, squeezing tighter and tighter until she couldn't breath.

Zara yelled in fear as the roots around him glowed brighter and brighter until it filled the entire cavern with light. Duvaine screamed in fear, trying to shield her eyes. Her vision faded, the breath squeezed from her body.

XXX

 _The darkness can be moved to another for a short time. The voice hissed._

 _Do it! Link yelled._

Duvaine gasped, her eyes flying open to the light surrounding the spirit spring. Heavy breathing filled her eardrums, it took her a moment to realize it was only her own. Her neck was stiff, her back ached, and her limbs made of jelly.

Forcing herself to sit up, she instantly wished she hadn't.

Not three feet away from her, a massive furry heap was curled. Her heartbeat exploded from her chest as she scrambled away. Around the animal, Link's clothes were shredded and ripped apart. His bag lay forgotten, his tools strewn out of it carelessly.

A horror filled shriek ripped from Duvaine's throat. She backed up to the wall in terror as the animal startled awake. A deep growl filled the cave, rumbling off the walls. The thing that had eaten Link stood up with the most menacing snarl she had ever seen. Fear ripped through her as it stalked towards her, she couldn't back up anymore; there was nowhere else to go.

Tears tumbled down her face; she found her gaze locked to the eyes of the creature.

They were the bluest blue she had ever seen, and they were familiar. A dream rushed back into her memory. The memory of a memory... The memory of a memory that wasn't her own. A blued eyed beast traveling with an imp in search of light. Duvaine froze where she cowered, her eyes widening.

"Link?" She quavered. It paused, the growl falling silent. "You're not going to hurt me." She whispered, reaching a shaking hand towards him.

Link's wolf form was huge. He was just as tall as her still, his ears even taller than the top of Duvaine's head. His snout was a mixture of gray and white. A pattern formed up the sides of his head and met between his eyes. His earrings still pierced his canine ears. His paws were gigantic, each one the size of Duvaine's face. Her fingers stroked through the soft fur atop his head, he closed his eyes with a warm huff.

"Wh— What did you do?!" She demanded in horror.

He didn't, couldn't, reply. Duvaine took a step closer to him; he instantly forced his nose into her face, sniffing loudly and intruding.

"Ack! Link! Stop!" She tried to swat his nose away as he sniffed her hair. Duvaine tripped over her own feet and landed hard on her bottom. "Ouch!" She scolded, giving him a glare. "Would you stop it?" She demanded as he continued to sniff her.

That's when she realized something; Duvaine could feel Link's curiosity. "What?" She blinked, "If you took the darkness away, why can I still sense you?" Before she could do anything else, her hair fell passed her shoulder. They weren't white strands that met her gaze.

Without saying anything, she clambered to her feet. Her leg was somehow healed, even the bandage gone. She stumbled outside, shielding her eyes from the sun's rays. Kneeling beside the lake, she tried to even her breathing as she leaned over the water.

Strands of auburn hair fell over her shoulders, the ends threatening to dip into the lake. "What happened to me?" She gasped in shock, barely catching herself from tumbling headfirst into the water.

Her hair was indeed auburn, her eyes were a delicate shade of brown. Her skin was rosy, filled with a flush she had never witnessed before. Duvaine… had color.

"L-Link?" Duvaine turned back towards him, biting her lip. "What happened?"

He was sitting back on his haunches, looking at her expectantly. His relief was amiable, leaking off of him like a water faucet.

"You're happy about this?" She asked quietly, he cocked his head at her. "You saved me." She whispered. "Link you saved me… at the cost of your— your body."

He shrugged his massive shoulders, giving her a look that said: _I would do it again._

"Is this…? Is this how I looked when I was born?" She knew the answer already, had she not just witnessed it?

She sat beside him, trying to process this. Her fingers were intertwined with the longest piece, as if the color may disappear if she rubbed out the ink. The strands shined in the daytime sun, looking more red than brown. Duvaine took a deep breath and shifted closer to Link until she was able to wrap her arms around his neck. He held still, and she whispered into his fur.

"Thank you."

He hummed back quietly, nuzzling her head. A tear leaked down her face. Without the darkness she was only a girl, the man she loved was a blue eyed beast, and they were supposed to stop a darkness that was hundreds of miles away.

"Now what?" She whispered.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 **Fun Fact:** _When I was first drafting this story, Duvaine was pictured as a runaway demon escaped from another country. In that draft, I had chosen opposite colors. She was portrayed as a fast moving sprite with pitch black hair and pitch black eyes that could easily maneuver through the trees. That was how I had her meet the children as their "imaginary friend." I decided this was a typical setup for a typical mary sue, and so she changed!_


	13. Broken

**Broken**

He was just out of reach. Duvaine pumped her legs faster as the darkness clutched at her ankles and grazed over her thighs. Her muscles were on fire, but it didn't matter. Link's face was swimming just ahead; her fingers brushed over his but she couldn't reach far enough. She had to get to him before it swallowed her! The darkness collapsed around her, suffocating her. Before she was lost in its' infinity, a warm hand clasped hers. Her body grew impossibly warm, dispelling the cold the darkness had left behind.

"I've got you." His voice was like the sun; it caused warmth to explode from her chest. Link pulled her into the light, his light. "I'm not letting you go again." He murmured, pulling her closer and holding her tightly.

His scent encircled her, thawing her from top to bottom. He smiled brightly, his fingers playing with a strand of her auburn hair. His own blonde strands looked glowed golden. "You're beautiful." He whispered, bringing his lips to kiss her forehead softly.

Duvaine's heart was a thundering mess beneath her bosom. Surprising both of them, she gripped the collar of his shirt and mashed her lips against his. He chuckled into her mouth, one hand busying itself in the soft tresses of her auburn hair. His other hand tickled the small of her back as he kissed her back deeply; a shiver traveled the length of her body as she melded it against his.

"I'm waiting for you." He murmured softly… breathlessly.

Duvaine gasped, sitting up too fast and making her head spin. Her heart was hammering in her chest, the adrenaline and butterflies still aucosting her. She could still feel his lips against hers and his hands tickling her skin. A scalding hot blush rose to her face as her blood boiled beneath. It took a wild moment for her to recollect where exactly they were: The forest to the south east of Castle Town.

It was the middle of the night; the trees were alive with the sounds of crickets and the absence of all other noise. A soothing breeze passed by sluggishly, ruffling Duvaine's hair and chilling her bones. After a moment, loss gripped her chest and tears sprang into her eyes.

It wasn't real, none of it was real.

After a few long minutes of sniffling, Duvaine's breathing calmed. The body she was laying against stirred slightly. Link lay beside her in his wolf form. His head lay neatly on his paws as he watched her with bright cerulean eyes. Duvaine looked away, the blush still filled her cheeks. After a moment it seemed to fade; then she glanced towards Link's huge form again.

This was her fault.

If she had been strong enough, Link wouldn't have had to take her burden. It was hers and hers alone; for it to threaten the man she loved as well―

Duvaine bit her tongue and inhaled deeply through her nose. Something soft swished against her arm, making her jump in slight fright. It was only Link's tail, he cocked his head while an equal amount of concern filled their atmosphere.

"I'm fine." She answered his unspoken question softly, burying a palm in the fur on his back. "Just a… dream." The blush rose again.

He huffed softly through his nose and settled back down. His ears were alert, as cautious as always.

"I won't be able to sleep at all now." Duvaine admitted delicately. "Why don't you get some sleep?"

He grunted in refusal. As she knew he would.

"Please Link." She pressed. "I have your knife still, and I'll wake you if I hear anything."

He begrudgingly nodded his massive head. The moonlight scattered through the trees and reflected off the beautiful designs decorating his fur. Duvaine rubbed soft circles into his back until she heard his breaths deepen into sleep. A relieved breath escaped her throat and then the tears ran free.

Thankfully they were silent. She didn't want her despair to disturb Link's sleep.

One month. That's all they had.

Two days ago, as they had left the cave that should have been her tomb, a voice had uttered dark words into her ear.

 _The darkness will consume him by the next full moon._

Link hadn't seemed to hear it, and she didn't ask him if he had.

Despair clutched her chest and twisted painfully. It had taken her almost three weeks to reach Ordon by herself. They still had yet to reach that! Her body itched to keep walking, part of her wished to wake Link and force him onwards again.

A silent sob tugged at Duvaine's gut. It was impossible. _All of it was impossible_.

She shifted carefully away from Link, careful not to wake him. Her fingers tugged at the knife Link had coerced her to tuck into her boot. The handle was smooth and the blade sharp inside its' pouch. It fit snuggly, and was well hidden from the view.

Leaning back against the tree with a huff, she closed her eyes tightly. Memories of her visions swarmed her mind. Her mother's tired face, Uma, Zara as a young man, even Ibo. What did all of it mean? Where was her mother? Was she truly dead?

The visions had only created more questions in her questionable life. There was no real way to discover any of the answers from where she was now. Her biggest concern at the moment, was how they were going to destroy Ibo. Duvaine was fairly certain the curse that consumed her had once been a part of Ibo's being; or at least what was left of it. Just one small part had almost destroyed her, how could they possibly annihilate the source?

Her throat closed and her stomach twisted up into her chest painfully. Duvaine had never felt so clueless and helpless in her entire life.

Her thoughts and anxiety only seemed to grow as she pondered it further. Growing restless she stood, having to make water anyway. Duvaine refused to sit there for another moment; it was going to drive her to insanity.

Her footsteps were the only thing to be heard as she gained some distance from where Link slept. Once she was sure he wouldn't be able to see her or hear her, she finished her business quickly and turned back towards him.

Instead, a small noise caught her attention. Duvaine paused, not daring to move an inch. After several painful seconds the sound of footsteps crunched nearby. On instinct, Duvaine crouched low to the ground; her breaths became shallow and her heart was instantly hammering.

"...long we have to bloody stay out here?" A voice hissed from the darkness. Irritation slashed Duvaine's chest from across the clearing. The moonlight was thin, but Duvaine could still see she was hidden behind a thin wall of brush.

"Until we get the order." Came the solid reply.

"I don't want to wait no more! Let's storm Castle Town now!" The other insisted.

Duvaine gasped, clamping a hand over her mouth in horror. She cursed herself for letting it slip, her heart was threatening to pound out of her chest.

"We can get the others and leave tonight. Who cares what the General―"

"Wait." The second voice hissed, "I thought I heard something."

Duvaine was trembling, she held so still she thought her lungs would explode from the strain. She could just make out their forms through the foliage. The men were tall, and dressed for battle. After a moment of scrutiny through the thicket, she realized that she recognized their armor. Not only in Elohn, but in Kakariko Village as well when she and Link were attacked. Duvaine stifled another gasp when their words sank in.

Was the General, Fovi's Uncle, planning to attack Hyrule? That couldn't be so! It was suicide!

All of this flashed through her mind, her legs were shaking beneath her as she fought to stay deathly still. _I need to get back to Link._ It had been a terrible idea to leave him, even for a second. What if these monsters had found him while he slept?

A new kind of terror ran through her, she couldn't wait much longer.

"Ah, probably another rabbit." The first voice relented.

"You're probably right." The other replied.

Duvaine held her breath as she watched their forms disappear through the trees. After waiting an extra moment, she shuffled backwards towards where she came. Her legs were numb and her chest was pained. She couldn't focus on anything else, which was how they managed to catch her by surprise.

"There you are!" A voice chortled, coming at her from behind a tree.

A shriek escaped from her lungs before it was silenced by a large hand wrapping around her throat. Fear clamped down on her like a vice as he shoved her against a tree.

"Let me go!" She wheezed, clutching at the hand squeezing her windpipe shut. Her eyes were wide in fear as she clawed at his skin helplessly. It didn't deter him in the least.

"I _told_ you I heard something." He growled lowly, bringing his face closer to hers to see her better.

Duvaine gagged on his breath. She kicked at his legs, hoping to hit a sensitive spot. He pinned her against the tree in response. Tears leaked freely down her face, dripping down her chin as she struggled for her life.

"She's beautiful. And a fighter I see. Maybe I'll keep her." The man mused with a smile. Duvaine wasn't ready for what he would do next.

The man forced his lips against hers and forced his tongue into her mouth. Duvaine tried to scream, only managing to bite him in anger. "Behave girl, and maybe I'll be gentle." He growled into her mouth.

Duvaine sobbed in pain when he squeezed her throat tighter; he ground his hips into her, making bile rise into her throat. His other hand intrusively explored her body despite her attempts to shove it away. Another sob tore from her throat but it only seemed to encourage him.

He finally pulled away from her face; Duvaine coughed and gasped for air through her enclosed windpipe.

The man was quick to bury his face in her neck and bite her skin, hard. Duvaine screamed in agony, again he cut off her windpipe. He bit her again, in a different spot, then another. Duvaine fought harder, kicking with all her might as wretched sobs tried to force their way from her lungs.

He grabbed her thigh in a bruising grip and pulled it around his waist roughly. A sob tore from her throat when he ground against her harder. Her fingers fumbled for a second, then found the smooth handle of the knife in her boot.

"Haunch―" The second man warned, it was too late.

Duvaine used all her strength to stab the pig in the back. It had the desired effect. He tore away from her with a shout of angered pain. Duvaine stood blinking in shock as she coughed and spit. When she glanced up again, the man struck her across the face hard. The force of it knocked her to the ground, making her vision blurry. The world tilted, but it didn't matter. She tore to her feet and was racing through the trees.

A broken scream tore from her lungs and sent fire racing down her throat. A cry escaped from her throat as she stumbled. They wracked her body and she stumbled and fell into the dirt.

"Fucking bitch!" The man shouted from not far behind, the bloody knife was clutched in his hand. "You had to make it difficult didn't you?"

"Please…" Duvaine croaked, scrambling backwards on all fours, her shirt was ripped almost all the way down as the two men descended on her. "Get away from me!" She screeched, covering her face with her arms.

A wind raced by her, Duvaine glanced up just in time to watch Link swat one of the men with a giant paw. He hit with a thud and lay still in a heap. The second man, the one still holding the knife, was backing up slowly. He didn't stand a chance.

Link landed square on his chest, his jaws closing around the man's throat. Duvaine squeezed her eyes shut, but heard the crunch and the ripping; the man screamed in agony. Daring to open her eyes again, she couldn't look away.

Link mauled the man, clawing him and ripping his skin to shreds. Blood flew wildly in every direction, Duvaine could feel it splatter her face as she blinked in shock. The smell of it filled her nose and made her want to vomit. Even after he stopped moving, Link's revenge didn't end. He kept clawing and tearing at the body until the other man stirred. Only that seemed to tear Link from his rage.

"H-Haunch?" The voice shook. Link disappeared, only to reappear atop the second man. Duvaine didn't watch; her eyes were still glued to the remains of the other man. His face didn't look like a face anymore, not even human.

When both men lay dead, Link turned back towards her. His maw and neck were covered in crimson. It looked like mud in the dark, but Duvaine knew better. Furious breaths tore from his nostrils, his pupils were dilated and his hackles were on end. His emotions made 'murderous' seem gentle. Violence was coursing through his veins, an absolute rage Duvaine had never felt from him before.

"I― I―" She sobbed hard, ignoring the pain in her throat. She could already feel the side of her face swelling from where he had struck her. "It's― it's― my fault."

She was hyperventilating. Her neck ached from the bite marks and her face was bloodied and bruised. Shock was setting in as the amount of blood seemed to grow and grow on the forest floor. She couldn't handle it, she just couldn't. Duvaine hunched over and threw up.

With nothing left to expel, Duvaine passed out.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

A whine sounded loudly beside her ear. Jerking awake, Duvaine shrieked in fright as she scrambled away in terror. She couldn't have been asleep for long, the sky was only just lightening.

Link was standing beside her, his hackles still up and his eyes full of concern, fear, and hatred. Glancing down at herself, she was shocked to find her shirt was in fact split down the middle. Her chest was bare, bruises already forming. Quickly holding the shirt closed, she felt her head with the other.

Her left eye was almost swollen closed, and a piercing headache with it. Her eyes hovered over the two bodies nearby; then her gaze hovered to Link.

He was frustrated because he couldn't do anything to help her. And most likely because he couldn't hurt those two men more.

"I'm fine." She croaked, coughing brokenly; they both knew it was a lie. A deep furious snarl ripped from his throat. "I―I'm sorry." She managed, cowering away from the sound in fear.

He instantly quieted, but didn't move to come closer. Gripping a tree for support, Duvaine heaved herself to her feet. Her legs wouldn't function; they were shaking severely and she fell right back down.

"The bag―" Duvaine managed, falling into another coughing fit. He was gone for only a second before reappearing with his bag gripped tightly in his jaws. "Thank you." She croaked, searching until she found the shirt she had been looking for.

Duvaine slipped it over her head, her entire body feeling bruised and sore and pained.

"We need to get away from here. I think there are more of them." She whispered, not sure if her words were even discernable.

Link nodded darkly, she half expected him to take off to look for them. He waited patiently, eyeing her carefully.

"Link." She managed, his ears perked. "I can't stand."

His side brushed against her and she gripped his fur in a tight fist. He was much bigger than her, and it wasn't hard to crawl onto his back. After a moment he was moving. Duvaine buried her face into his fur and began to cry.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

It was later in the morning when they finally stopped. Link let her slide to the ground gently beside a gurgling stream. The cool water felt like bliss over her burning face and neck. Another snarl was building in Link's chest as she bent over to clean them.

"I'm alright." She tried to sooth, but the sound of her hurt voice only seemed to make him angrier.

Duvaine abandoned her boots and put her feet in the stream. Never had she felt this battered or violated in her life. She felt dirty, and she felt like it was her fault. Tears slowly began to leak down her face again, but she made no comment to Link's resounding growl.

"Come here." She whispered softly, nudging him into the stream. After a moment he did, and she began brushing the blood from his fur with her fingers. It filled the stream with red as she did. Duvaine did her best to ignore her pains and stings as she made sure not to tug on his fur too hard.

After several long minutes, he was clean. He got out and shook water droplets from his fur, splattering Duvaine.

She yelped, then coughed in pain because of it. Apology was written all over his face as he nuzzled her forehead gently.

"It was my fault." She whispered against him, leaning into his damp fur. "I should've woken you up before I went."

He rumbled deep in his chest.

"I was so scared." Her voice quivered and her lip trembled. Her hands started to shake. "Oh Din I was so scared."

She buried her face into his fur again, letting the tears fall. It hurt her throat to cry, and she could feel the bruises worsening with each bellyache. After a while the crying subsided, she didn't move though.

"I want your old body back so much it hurts." She whispered, he rumbled in agreement as he nuzzled her head gently.

He was suddenly growling, Duvaine pulled back in confusion and fear. He wasn't looking at her though, he was looking at a path leading from out of the woods. Panic clawed at Duvaine's throat. Had their companions come to avenge their friends?

"Are you alright?" A voice asked loudly, uncertainly.

Duvaine turned towards the sound and blinked in surprise. Two horses stood beside one another, their riders looking at Link uneasily. "Can we help you at all miss?" The woman's voice asked again.

Duvaine's voice was lost as she looked at them.

"Stay here a moment." A male voice warned, then got down from his horse. The familiar figure stalked towards her uncertainly, slowly, cautiously. "Are you alright ma'am? Do you acquire assistance?"

 _Anoc._ Duvaine thought in bewilderment. She must be hallucinating, none of this was real. It was all just a terrible terrible dream. Any moment now, she would wake up with Fovi smiling and teasing her about a cute guard that would never look at her. She would wake up to Afi's scowl and the maids hard looks as they brought in her laundry. She would wake up to her father, who would ask her the same questions and ask her to do another pointless experiment on another pointless criminal.

It was a terrible life; but it was hers and she wanted it back.

Then she could pretend Link was just a happy dream. He would be the dream she had always wanted and the man she wanted to be in love with. He would live on in her heart, even if he wasn't real. She wished it was a dream so she wouldn't have caused the man she loved so much pain and suffering.

"Miss?" Anoc raised a brow, eyeing Link's form cautiously as he came even closer.

"That hair… it can't be." She heard Fovi whisper.

Reality slammed back into Duvaine like a fist. Anoc placed a gentle hand on her shoulder; Duvaine jerked away with a shriek of terror. Link responded negatively, he snapped at Anoc, who fell off his feet in surprise and fear of getting his hand ripped off. Link loomed over Duvaine, shielding her beneath his soft underbelly.

Duvaine curled in on herself and wept. She sobbed loudly and brokenly. Her face burned and her skin tingled. She could still feel that vile man's hands touching her skin, ripping at her clothes and tearing at her skin. Her sobs grew harder as she unraveled from the inside.

Duvaine wasn't a person; she was just the hollow shell of a monster who couldn't protect herself any longer. It was all her fault. All of it was her fault.

"Duvaine?" Fovi's voice was close by, and soft. Link's presence retracted a bit, leaving her exposed to gentle familiar hands that found Duvaine's face. "Oh Duvaine, what happened to you?" She whispered softly.

Duvaine was hyperventilating, she couldn't see anymore, couldn't smell, and couldn't hear. The hands cradled her gently; Duvaine knew it was Fovi. Fovi would never hurt her. Maybe it was the comfort that let her fall apart even further, knowing she was safe.

Duvaine let herself lull into darkness.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Link stood at attention, eyes wide with gut wrenching anxiety. His insides were burning from the sight of Duvaine's broken body laying in the redhead's lap. He despised being helpless. In this form, Link was as powerless as Duvaine had been against those men.

The thought of it tore a hole deep in his chest; he barely bit back the murderous growl that leaped to his throat. In this form he couldn't' hold her, couldn't comfort her, he could do nothing.

 _It's worth it._ He reminded himself. He would take this form a hundred times over if it meant Duvaine would live.

The redhead―Fovi― was busy caring for a wound on Duvaine's shoulder while the man Anoc stirred the fire he had made. For some reason, she wouldn't let him see it. Curiosity ate at Link's stomach, but the look on Fovi's face told him he didn't want to know.

The ferocity was swimming in the back of his throat. Link was almost certain it was because of this form. He flexed his paws, nails digging deep into the soft ground. The wind was blowing from where they had come, bringing with it a faint smell of blood Link had left behind in the forest.

He almost hoped the rest of them would come. Maybe he would be able to rid himself of this anger. His breathing was short and fast as he watched Fovi roll a thick bandage around Duvaine's arm. The sour smell of medicinal ointment wrinkled Link's nose.

Across the fire, Anoc was staring at Link curiously; mistrust was blatant in his sea green eyes.

"Where do you think this dog came from?" Anoc asked quietly. "It looks similar to a Bhit."

"Hush now." Fovi whispered softly, stroking Duvaine's hair softly. "Where's Link? He should've been protecting her."

A deep growl bled from Link's chest as he glared at her. Fovi's head snapped up at the noise, and Anoc's sword came halfway out of its sheath. Link didn't take his eyes off the redhead; she stared into his eyes for a long time before she gasped.

"You!?" She declared dumbfounded.

Link nodded bitterly.

" _H―How_?" She demanded, eyes wide. Duvaine groaned in her sleep directing Fovi's attention to her again.

Link perked up worriedly, watching pain flashover Duvaine's face before she settled back into sleep. He didn't notice Anoc until the sound of scribbling suddenly filled the light's circle against the night.

"What are you doing?" Fovi's voice asked timidly, gripping Duvaine tightly in her arms. Link could see the distress in the woman's eyes; she was just as worried about Duvaine as Link was. That was a bit comforting.

"We need to communicate with him, obviously." Anoc replied with a small smile in her direction. "It will make this entire thing a little easier."

Fovi pursed her lips and Anoc continued to scribble. Link's eyes didn't move away from Duvaine's face. He could detect every twitch and movement she made in her sleep. He prayed to the Goddesses she was having good dreams instead of bad.

"Finished." Anoc's voice finally pulled Link's eyes away from her face. Anoc was holding a piece of paper with every letter of the Hyrulian alphabet. He reluctantly scoot closer to where Link was sitting on his haunches and laid the paper before him. "Now explain."

 _This will take forever._ Link felt his eye twitch.

Sighing deeply, he started pointing at the letters one by one as Anoc scribbled them down on another parchment. After several long silent minutes, Anoc stopped and read the paragraph aloud.

"We were captured and a woman helped us escape. I took the darkness from Duvaine so she would've die. Only killing Ibo will cure the curse forever. Last night Duvaine went into the forest and two men attacked her." Anoc looked up, then his eyes wandered all over the page again; it was as if he wasn't sure which part to comment on first.

"She was going to _die?_ " Fovi demanded in horror, stroking Duvaine's auburn head where it rested in her lap. She stared into the fire in horror, gaping.

Link pointed to more letters and Anoc was quick to scramble them down.

"Duvaine will explain when she wakes." Anoc read, looking between them. "What does this mean for us?" He asked Fovi.

She shook her head in confusion. Link could tell her hands were shaking slightly as she ran them gently through Duvaine's hair. The silence stretched on for several minutes until...

" _Link._ " Duvaine's voice was soft; yet all of them heard it. " _Link._ " She repeated urgently. Again she went limp, back into a deep sleep.

Fovi was silent for a long time; then her eyes dove deeply into Link's sky blue ones.

"I'm going to tell you something Hero, something Duvaine will need to know one day. If for whatever reason I'm not able to tell her...I want you to do it." She spoke softly.

"Don't say that." Anoc growled irritably. "You're the next ruler of Elohn."

"You need to hear this too Anoc. Maybe you'll lose whatever resentment of her you have left." Fovi took a very deep breath before turning back to Link. Link felt nervous and curious simultaneously. He tried not to show it as Fovi's gaze pierced his skull.

"Before I begin, I want you to know I had only just uncovered all this when the castle was attacked. I was in the library when it started, that's why Anoc and I were able to find Duvaine so quickly…" The woman seemed to steel herself as she went on. Her knuckles were white as she curled them into fists around Duvaine's hair.

"Many years ago, a few years after the queen died, a spy was arrested in the castle. She was Hylian, and she was accused of stealing valuable information from the King's war room and office. She was a comely woman, one of the most beautiful commoners in the castle. But after she was arrested, she was sent to the dungeons and she was never seen again."

Fovi paused, looking between the two of them forlornly.

"This woman's name was Caresh, she also had a knack for writing. The woman wrote within a journal almost everyday, and I found them hidden away by magic in the royal library. I discovered that Caresh wasn't a spy, and she wasn't even Hylian. She had escaped from slave traders in Azhel and fled to Elohn. She had wanted to make her way to Hyrule but found a job in the Castle that convinced her to stay."

Link listened intently, leaning forwards in curiosity. What could this possibly―

"She wasn't a spy, but was instead having a secret romance with my father." Fovi stated bluntly. Both men were silent, blinking in surprise. "My uncle, the General, had tried to force her into his bed but was refused. After that, in anger, he had false evidence planted to have her convicted as a spy. My father was too heartbroken to listen to the truth. He trusted his brother and had her sent to the dungeons. That was where Zara found her."

"It can't be." Anoc whispered; Link blinked in confusion.

"Caresh became pregnant." Fovi continued, stroking Duvaine's hair softly, lovingly. "I know now that Zara and my Uncle had both agreed to have the child used as the next test subject. They injected Caresh while she was still with child."

"Caresh is Duvaine's mother." Anoc breathed. "But we already knew she was Zara's daughter―"

"That's just it." Fovi murmured, "She isn't."

The silence was piercing as that sank in.

"You mean― she's―Duvaine's―a―a―" Anoc was shaking his head in disbelief.

"Duvaine is my half sister." Fovi whispered.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 **WHAAAAT? Omg, did anybody see that coming? Lol! Sorry for the long wait time guys! Hope you enjoyed, let me know how you're doing! Hope you guys are doing good! :)**


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